Ala, meaning path or way, is used in so many of our street names, that is pretty well known. Most people know that it is a redundancy to say “Ala Wai Boulevard” or “Ala Moana Boulevard.” Our Hawaiian Word of the Day is alanui, the natural extension of ala. It means a big path, or a big way, a highway or a freeway.

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

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

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.

Poʻe means people, persons, even an entire population. The Hawaiian people are called ka poʻe Hawaiʻi. Poʻe can also be used as a plural marker when talking about people, as in kaʻu poʻe keiki —my children.⁠

Inoa means name. Koʻu inoa means “my name,” kou inoa means “your name.” So the next time you hear someone ask, “ ‘O wai kou inoa?” Just tell them what your name is.

Today's Hawaiian Word of the Day is another beautiful place name: Kōkeʻe. It means "to bend" or "to wind." We all know it as the name of the beautiful state park and area on Kauaʻi.

Pekelala is another Hawaiian word borrowed from English, and it means federal. If you listen to the news of the day discussed in Hawaiian, you often hear pekelala, because so much of what is in the news relates to the U.S. federal government.

Pō means: night, darkness, obscurity, the realm of the gods. The Hawaiian day begins at nightfall, so instead of using the word for the days of the week, as is done in English, we use pō for nights, and then modify it to make the nights of the week. For example Pōʻakahi or Pōʻalua.

Pīkake is our name for the fragrant jasmine flower, and it is also the Hawaiian word for "peacock."