Hawaiian Word of the Day: January 20th

By Leilani Poliʻahu

Published January 20, 2026 at 12:00 AM HST

The Hawaiian word for January 20 is heʻe. He’e is the Hawaiian word for octopus.

Heʻe is the Hawaiian word for octopus. You've probably heard heʻe in names such as Waiheʻe, a former governor of Hawaiʻi, or in words like wahaheʻe, meaning to lie, literally, slippery mouth.

Hawaiian Word of the Day

Leilani Poliʻahu

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Neʻe means to move along little by little, as many of us do every day in heavy traffic. It can also be used to tell someone that you have moved from one place to another – ua neʻe? – I have moved.