In Hawaiʻi, where everyone it seems is our uncle or aunty, the word ʻanakala comes in pretty handy. It is a borrowed word from the English language meaning “uncle.”
Nāwiliwili is a popular though often mispronounced place name on Kauaʻi. It is the site of that island's major sea port. It means “the wiliwili trees.”
We often hear aliʻi in conjunction with pageants and other places where our chiefs are portrayed. Yes, aliʻi means chief, chiefess, officer, ruler, monarch, king, queen. And aliʻi nui then is the “High Chief.” Now days we often hear mōʻī for king, but he was an aliʻi nui in the old days.
Hema hema means “unprepared, awkward, clumsy, unskilled, inefficient.” We can think of a lot of people who are hema hema; it's much better to be mākaukau – prepared.
Pahu and hau combine to give us the Hawaiian word for ice box or refrigerator. Pahu is a box, chest, cabinet, or similar container, and hau means cool, iced, ice, frost, dew, snow. Put them together and you have an ice box: pahu hau.
Hoʻolele means “to cause to fly.” And coupled with leo – for voice – it means “broadcast,” as we do these Hawaiian words every day on Hawaiʻi Public Radio. Hoʻolele leo – causing the voice to fly.
Puaʻa means “pig, swine, hog, pork.” And although it is a commonly used Hawaiian word, even in English conversation, it is often mispronounced. Say puaʻa as in kamapuaʻa. Puʻa is also another pronunciation you might hear, especially among native speakers.
Wai wai means goods, property, assets, valuables, value, worth, wealth. We most often hear wai wai to mean rich, wealth, or value, as in the popular song “Iesū me ke kanaka wai wai,” – Jesus and the Rich Man – written by Johnny Almeida.
Most of you will remember that ʻaʻole means no. And many people are confused when they hear ʻaʻohe. No, it's not a mispronunciation. ʻAʻohe means no, too, but it is generally used to mean none.
Our Hawaiian word for today is, hoa aloha. Although aikāne is probably commonly used by non-native speakers to mean “friend.” Hoa aloha is the preferred Hawaiian word.
Maka means: eye, eye of the needle, face, countenance, even the lens of a camera. It can also mean beloved one, favorite person. Kuʻu maka is somewhat like saying “the apple of my eye.”
We often hear people talk about being maʻa with something. It is a good choice of words if you are accustomed to something, familiar with it, used to it, know it thoroughly.
Paʻa is a very commonly used word that can mean: firm, solid, tight, adhering, durable, fast, fixed, stuck, secure, closed, and so much more. Paʻa ā paʻa means held fast, so hoʻo paʻa means to make fast, to bind.
Our Hawaiian Word of the Day is ʻokakopa. Yes, it is a borrowed word and it means October. All of our month names are borrowed from English, which borrowed them from other languages.
Kāne is the Hawaiian word for man. You see this often in names like Kāneʻohe, which means bamboo man, and in many family names as well. It is also used for: male, husband, male sweetheart, and masculine.
Most people who live in Hawaiʻi know what a maile lei is, but it is one of those Hawaiian words that is all too often mispronounced. Maile is a native twining shrub with shiny, fragrant leaves, used for decorations and lei, especially on important occasions. Maile is pronounced “mai-lei,” not to be confused with the Leeward Oʻahu community called Māʻili.
Ulu means “to grow, increase, spread.” It is often used in conjunction with such words as wehi. Ulu wehi, for example, means “lush and beautiful, festively adorned.”
When someone asks how you are, a good response might be, “oia mau nō,” an idiom that means “same as ever, just the same.” It is often said in answer to the question, “Pehea ʻoe?”
Kānāwai means “law, code, rule, statute, act, regulation, ordinance." There are many famous kānāwai, like the Law of the Splintered Paddle, and many we may not like. Ke kānāwai is “the law.”
ʻAʻole means “no.” ʻAʻole is an interjection which also means “not, never,” and you may hear it pronounced ʻaʻale. You will commonly hear it even in English conversation when people say - ʻaʻole pilikia – no trouble.
Here's a simple, short Hawaiian Word of the Day for you, it is ʻae. It means “yes, to say yes, consent, to confirm, grant, agree, approve, permit.” It is the word you so often want to hear in answer to your questions.
Puakō is the name of a place on the Big Island, a beautiful place on the Kohala Coast where some 3,000 petroglyphs have been found. It means sugar cane blossom. “Pua”is blossom and the modifier “kō” means sugar cane.
Our Hawaiian word for today, hāpai, is one most people in Hawaiʻi already know and use, even in English conversation. It means to carry, and is most often used to describe a woman who is expecting a baby. It also means “to lift, raise, hoist, hold up, or support.”
Manu means bird or any winged creature, even the wing of a kite. We have many kinds of beautiful manu in Hawaiʻi, many of them found only in Hawaiʻi, and threatened with extinction.
Oli means a chant that was danced to, especially with prolonged phrases chanted in one breath, often with a trill at the end of each phrase. We call a chanter a mea oli.
