July 31st: Pukikī

By Leilani Poliʻahu

Published July 31, 2026 at 12:00 AM HST

Pukikī is the Hawaiian word for the English word “Portuguese” — a group of people who arrived here by the thousands in the late 1800s.

Hawaiian Word of the Day

Leilani Poliʻahu

See stories by Leilani Poliʻahu

Vote for your classical music favorites

September is "Classical Music Month"! HPR is celebrating with a countdown of your favorite composers and compositions, as chosen by you! The top 100 list will be revealed on HPR-2 beginning September 16. Stay tuned!

Submit your top picks

More Episodes

Hawaiian Word of The Day

July 30th: ʻUala

Leilani Poliʻahu

ʻUala is the Hawaiian name for the sweet potato. Did you know that this delicious and popular Hawaiian staple came from South America?
Hawaiian Word of The Day

July 29th: Laiki

Leilani Poliʻahu

Laiki is how we say rice in Hawaiian. And since we who live in the Islands eat so much of it, you should know how to say it in Hawaiian. Like so many of our newer Hawaiian words, it was borrowed from the English language.