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We often hear kakahiaka as part of aloha kakahiaka, a greeting early in the day. And most know it means "morning." The popular greeting came in to use only after the arrival of the poʻe haole, as a translation for “good morning.”

Nahu means to bite. It can be the bite of anything—from an insect that bites, to the bite of a dog, or even the bite you take out of a piece of cake.

Our Hawaiian word for today is another borrowed word, kepakemapa. And yes, it’s the Hawaiian word for “September.” Like other names of the months, it was borrowed from English.

Kahaluʻu, the proper name for a beautiful Windward Oʻahu location. It means diving place. Kaha is “place” and luʻu is “diving.” Be sure to sound the glottal stop, or ʻokina.

Yesterday we told you about mauka, a direction meaning “at the upland.” Today's Hawaiian Word of the Day is makai, meaning “at the sea” the opposite direction of mauka. It is actually two words: ma meaning “at” and kai meaning “sea.”

Since we don’t often use north, south, east, and west in giving directions in Hawaiʻi, hikina might be a new word to you. It means “east.”

Aupuni means “government,” and can be modified to tell what kind of government we are talking about. For example, aupuni peke lala is the federal government, and aupuni koloniala is the colonial government.

Haʻahaʻa means “lowly, humble, unpretentious, modest, and unassuming.” Remember it as a good way to sign off a letter – me haʻahaʻa – with humility.

Alakaʻi means to lead, guide, direct, a leader, a guide, or a conductor. We usually hear it in relationship to hula, as those dancers who assist a kumu hula in leading and teaching hula dancers.

Kulanui literally means “big school.” Kulanui once meant “high school,” but today a kulanui is a university or college. The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa is ke kulanui o Hawaiʻi ma Mānoa.