Monthly Archives: June 2015

nvi. Trip, voyage, journey, mission, procession, parade; to travel, parade.  My dad’s Hawaiian name was Kahuakaʻi. We always pronounced it Kahuakai (without the ʻokina) until I started learning the Hawaiian language and then I realized that it was probably Kahuakaʻi … Continue reading →

nvt. Guard, watchman, caretaker; to watch, guard, picket; to overlook, as a bluff.  KŪ KIAʻI MAUNA! KŪ! That was the rally cry heard over and over yesterday on the news and social network sites. And it has been heard in the … Continue reading →

Summer, hot season. We just celebrated the summer solstice (ka māuikiʻikiʻi o ke kau wela) on Sunday. Hundreds gathered at different locations on Oʻahu (or like me in my own yard) welcoming this auspicious day. So I thought summer would … Continue reading →

Mountain apple A telltale sign that summer has arrive, in addition to mangoes and lychee, is the sweet taste of  ʻōhiʻa ʻai, or mountain apples. The ʻōhiʻa ʻai is found on many islands in the Pacific and its fruit is … Continue reading →

electric mail (email) Today’s momi is simple enough.  It is the means by which you communicate both professionally and personally, everyday, via leka uila, email!  One note of interest is that this word was translated into Hawaiian by virtue of its … Continue reading →

pali – cliff, precipice, steep hill or slope hāuliuli – Blackish, swarthy, dark. Most of the pali, or cliffs, that we see in our islands are on the windward (koʻolau) sides of the islands.  A quick lesson in geology will … Continue reading →

1. vt. To change, alter, influence, turn, turn over. Loli wale, to change for apparently no reason or whimsically; variable. Loli ʻana, change, conversion, variation, evolution. Loli aʻe, to vary, change. hoʻo.loli To change, convert, exchange, alter, transform, take a new … Continue reading →

Lush and beautiful verdure; a place where beautiful plants thrive; festively adorned. Wehi means to adorned or decorative.  Ulu means to grow.  So literally uluwehi means “decorative growth”.  You hear uluwehi in songs, names, chants.  It is quite a beautiful … Continue reading →

1. nvs. Industrious, busy, hard-working; workman, laborer, worker, industry. 2. n. Implement, tool, utensil, furnishings (Nah. 7.1). Mea paʻahana, tool, workman. This word, when split into two words, gives you the BEST picture of what it means: Paʻa – stuck, firm … Continue reading →

n. Holiday, important or big day. Today we celebrate, as a state holiday, Kamehameha Day. Today is a lānui – holiday. If you separate the word into two: lā – day nui – big Written separately, it would refer to … Continue reading →