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Hawaiian Word of The Day

Hawaiian Word of the Day

Hawaiian Word of the Day: January 23rd

By Leilani Poliʻahu

Published January 23, 2024 at 12:00 AM HST

Keakapahu is how we say jack-in-the-box in Hawaiian.

Keakapahu is how we say jack-in-the-box in Hawaiian. Keaka is a Hawaiian way of saying Jack, and pahu is box.

Hawaiian Word of the Day

Leilani Poliʻahu

See stories by Leilani Poliʻahu

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We so often see kuʻuipo on Hawaiian jewelry that we tend to overlook another beautiful Hawaiian word for sweetheart. It is huapala. Literally, it means “ripe fruit”— a fruit that is ready for picking, and that's how Hawaiians call their sweetheart.
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Hawaiian Word of the Day: July 25th

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Another Hawaiian place name that is often mispronounced is Waiāhole. It is a compound name from wai for “water,” and āhole for a type of fish.