Hawaiian Word of the Day: July 26th

By Leilani Poliʻahu

Published July 26, 2021 at 12:00 AM HST

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.

Hawaiian Word of the Day

Leilani Poliʻahu

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Hawaiian Word of The Day

Hawaiian Word of the Day: April 26th

Leilani Poliʻahu

Mā‘ili is another one of those commonly used Hawaiian place names that is so often mispronounced, frequently confused with the name of the fragrant vine used as a lei. Today's Hawaiian Word of the Day is Mā‘ili, the name of the community on the Leeward O‘ahu coast. Māʻili is the name of a beach park, surfing area, playground, school, and more.
Hawaiian Word of The Day

Hawaiian Word of the Day: April 25th

Leilani Poliʻahu

Although mahina has several other meanings, the most common usage of the word is for moon, or month, or moonlight. It is also a crescent shaped fishhook, the eye of the snail at the end of its horn, a farm, plantation or patch, a variety of onion, and a variety of sweet potato. You hear it most often as moon or month – it's mahina.