Hawaiian Word of the Day
Weekdays at 7:30am & 5:29pm on HPR-1, and 3pm on HPR-2
This daily feature encourages awareness of the use of Hawaiian language, or ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi, in everyday conversation. In each 30-second vignette, host Leilani Poliʻahu introduces a new word, explains what it means, spells it, and models the correct pronunciation.
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Our Hawaiian word today is a good example of the importance of putting the right stress on vowel sounds, or leaving them off. Lolo means brains, and it is from that root word that we get such new words as lolo uila: one of the words for computer – an electric brain. If you say it with stress on both vowels it becomes lōlō, and that means paralyzed, numb, feeble-minded, or crazy. Be careful how you pronounce Hawaiian words.
