Hawaiian Word of the Day: June 28th

By Leilani Poliʻahu

Published June 28, 2024 at 12:00 AM HST

Puke is from the English word for "book." You can modify the word to describe it in greater detail. For example, a puke wehewehe ‘ōlelo is a dictionary—a book to explain words.⁠

Hawaiian Word of the Day

Leilani Poliʻahu

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Kumu means source, foundation, basis, root. Nānā i ke kumu means to look at the source, and we use the same word for teacher. ‘O wau ke kumu—I am the teacher.
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Although it is often mispronounced, muʻumuʻu is one of the best-known Hawaiian words. It means “cut off, shortened,” and is the name so often given to a loose-fitting gown, because the yoke was often missing, and the sleeves short. Its first meaning, however, is “amputated, maimed.”