NHSC Glossaries
Glossaries
- Selected Glossary of Hawaiian Words
- Glossary of Legal Terms
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Selected Glossary Of Hawaiian Words*
ahupua'a: Land division usually extending from the uplands to the sea, so called because the boundary was marked by a heap (ahu) of stones surmounted by an image of a pig (pua'a), or because a pig or other tribute was laid on the altar as tax to the chief...
'aia; Ungodly, irreligious, wicked, careless of observing taboos; wickedness.
'ai kapu: To eat under taboo; to observe eating taboos.
'aina: Land, earth.
'ai noa: To eat without observance of taboos.
akaku: Vision, trance; reflection, as in a mirror; to see a vision.
akamai; Smart, clever, expert; smartness, skill.
akua; God, goddess, spirit, ghost, devil, image, idol, corpse; divine, supernatural, godly...
'alana: Offering, especially a free-will offering, contrasting with a mohai that was prescribed by a priest; to offer...
ali'i: Chief, chiefess, king, queen, noble...
aloha: Aloha, love, affection, compassion, mercy, pity, kindness, charity; greeting, regards; sweetheart, loved one; beloved, loving; to love, show kindness, mercy, pity, charity, affection; to remember with affection; to greet, hail...
'aumakua: 1) Family or personal god;... ea: ...2) Life, breath, vapor, gas, breeze, spirit...
ha: To breathe, exhale; to breathe upon, as kava after praying and before prognosticating; breath, life...
hakaokao: 1) Decaying, as taro in the field or a few days after cooking. 2) Hole for inserting mast in a canoe.
haku ohi'a: Image made of 'ohi'a wood, as used in the luakini ceremonies; god of the 'ohi'a tree.
hala: Sin, error, offense; to sin...
halau: Long house, as for canoes or hula instruction...
hale 'aina: Restaurant, cafe, eating house; in ancient times, the eating house for women.
hale moe: Sleeping house.
hale pe'a: 1) Tent. 2) Menstrual house.
hana: Work, labor, job, duty, office; activity of any kind, action, act, deed, service, behavior; to work, labor, do, prepare; to develop as a picture; to have a love affair; to induce by sorcery...
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*/ All definitions are taken from: Mary Kawena Pukui and Samuel H. Elbert, Hawaiian Dictionary (Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press, 1971).
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hanai: Foster child, adopted child...
hanu: To breathe, smell, sniff; breath, respiration; the last breath of life...
haole: White person, American, Englishman, Caucasian; formerly, any foreigner.
hapa haole: Part-white...
heiau: Pre-Christian place of worship; some heiau were elaborately constructed stone platforms, others simple earth terraces.
heiau ho'ola: Heiau for treating sick.
heiau po'okanaka: Heiau where human sacrifices were offered.
hiohio: 1) To whistle softly; to blow softly; to draw in the breath as of one eating hot food. 2) Gibberish; to jabber. 3) Lure for trolling, said to be named for its whistling sound tripping over the water.
ho'ike: To show, exhibit.
ho'olono: To listen, hear, obey, obedient.
ho'opapa: (a) To touch repeatedly; to feel, as a blind person; a contest in wit or strength; to hold such a contest; repartee...
ho'oulu: To grow (trans.), sprout, cause to increase, as the surf...2) Possessed by a spirit; inspired by a spirit, god, ideal, person; stirred, excited; to enter in and inspire...
'ie'ie: 1) An endemic woody, branching climber (Freycinetia arborea) growing luxuriantly in forests at altitudes of about 1,500 feet...2) A native variety of taro, with leaf blades and flowers suggesting 'ie'ie, 1; the leaves are dark and glossy, the petioles reddish with yellow-green stripes.
'ili: ...5) Land section, next in importance to ahupua'a and usually a subdivision of an ahupua'a.
'ili kupono: A nearly independent 'ili land division within an ahupua'a, paying tribute to the king and not to the chief of the ahupua'a. Transfer of the ahupua'a from one chief to another did not include the 'ili kupono located within its boundaries.
ilo: ...2) Young shoot; to germinate, sprout.
'ino: Wicked; immoral, sinful; sin.
ipu: The bottle gourd...Hawaiians have long used gourds as receptacles, small gourds with thin walls to hold water or food, or for rattles for dances (the ipu has a fine tone, halfway between that of niu and la'amia), larger ones with thin to thick walls to hold tapa and other articles or to serve as drums...
kahako: Steep, sheer.
kahu akua: One who takes care of an image or god; priest.
kahuna: Priest, minister, sorcerer, expert in any profession; to act as priest or expert.
kahuna lapa'au: Medical doctor, medical practitioner. Lit., curing expert.
kaikua'ana: Older sibling or cousin of the same sex; sibling or cousin of the same sex of the senior line, whether older or younger.
kama'aina: Native-born, one born in a place, host; native plant; acquainted, familiar...
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kanaka maoli: Hawaiian person.
kanawai: Law, code, rule, statute; legal (perhaps so called because many early laws pertained to water [wai] rights); to obey a law; to learn from experience...
kaokao: Syphilis. (Cf. hakaokao).
kaona: Hidden meaning in Hawaiian poetry; concealed reference, as to a person, thing, or place; words with a double meaning that might bring good or bad fortune...
kapa: Tapa, as made from wauke or mamaki bark; formerly clothes of any kind or bedclothes...
kapu: Taboo, prohibition; sacredness...
kaua: War, battle; army; to make war.
kauila: ...3) Taboo ceremony consecrating a temple; ceremonial readorning of images with feathers...
kauwa: Untouchable, outcast, pariah; a caste which lived apart and was drawn on for sacrifical victims; slave; servant...
kino: 1) Body, person, individual, self; main portion; form; fully formed, as a foetus; bodily, physical...
kino lau: Many forms taken by a supernatural body, as Pele, who could at will cecome a flame of fire, a young girl, or an old hag.
kino wailua: Spirit of the dead; dead person, bodily remains, corpse.
koko: Blood; rainbow-hued...
kokua: Help, assistant, helper; comforter; co-cperation; to help, assist, support; to second a motion...
konohiki: Headman of an ahupua'a lane division under the chief...
Ku: ...11) Name of major god...
kuhina nui: Powerful officer in the days of the monarchy; the position is usually translated as "prime minister" or "premier," but according to Kuykendall, carried greater power; the kuhina nui shared executive power with the king.
kukui: Candlenut tree (Aleurites moluccana), a large tree in the spurge family bearing nuts containing white, oily kernels which were formerly used for lights and are still cooked for a relish...
kuleana: Small piece of property, as within an ahupua'a...
kupua: Demigod, especially a supernatural being possessing several forms as kama-pua'a (man, pig, fish), lae-nihi (a woman, a fish); one possessing mana; to possess kupua (magic) powers...
kupuna: Grandparent, ancestor, relative of the grandparent's generation, grandaunt, granduncle.
lauloa: Long wave or surf, as extending from one end of the beach to the other. Also called kakala.
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lehua: 1) The flower of the 'ohi'a tree (Metrosideros macropus, M. collina); also the tree itself; the lehua is the flower of the island of Hawaii, famous in song and tale. Fig., a warrior, a beloved friend or relative, a sweetheart, an expert...
lei: Lei, garland, wreath, necklace of flowers, leaves, shells, ivory, feathers, or paper, given as a symbol of affection; beads; any ornament worn around the head or about the neck; to wear a lei; special song presenting a lei; crown...
lipo: 1) Deep blue-black, as of a cavern, the sea, or dense forest; dim, distant...
loa: Distance, length, height; distant, long, far; permanent...
Lono: ...2) One of the four major gods brought from Tahiti, the god of the makahiki harvest festivities and of agriculture. He is also regarded as the god of medicine. Captain Cook was believed to be the god Lono and was thus addressed...
luakini: Temple, church, cathedral, tabernacle; large heiau where ruling chiefs prayed and human sacrifices were offered.
lu'au; 1 ) Young taro tops, especially as baked with coconut cream and chicken or octopus...
luna: ...2) Foreman, boss, overseer, supervisor, officer of any sort, commissioner.
mahina: Moon, month; moonlight. Mahina meli, honeymoon...
maika'i: Good, well, fine, excellent; good-looking, handsome, beautiful, goodness, righteousness, well-being, morality; good looks, good health...
maile: A native twining shrub (Alyxia olivaeformis), with shiny fragrant leaves, used for decoration and leis. It is a member of the periwinkle family. Laka, goddess of the hula, was invoked as the goddess of the maile, which was one of five standard plants used in her altar.
ma'i-'oku'u, ho'oku'u: Disease at time of Kamehameha I, perhaps cholera, and perhaps so called because it was dysenteric, and people were squatting (<u>'oku'u) much at stool.
ma'i-Pake: Leprosy, literally, Chinese disease.
maka'ainana: Commoner, populace, people in general; citizen...
Maka-'alohilohi: Name of a star. Lit., bright eye.
makahiki: ...2) Ancient festival beginning about the middle of October and lasting about four months, with sports and religious festivities and taboo on war.
malo: Male's loincloth; chant in praise of a chief's loincloth...
<u>mana: Supernatural or divine power; a powerful nation, authority...
mele: Song, chant of any kind, poem.
Menehune: Legendary race of small people who worked at night, building fish ponds, roads, temples, if the work was not finished in one night, it remained unfinished...
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moepu'u: Victim slain at the secret burial of a chief, so as to reduce the number of witnesses; victim who commits suicide or has himself killed in order to show love for a dead chief, death.
moe 'uhane; Dream; to dream.
mo'i: King, sovereign, ruler, queen; a rank of chiefs who could succeed to the government but who were of lower rank than chiefs descended from the god Kane.
moku: ...2) District, island, section; forest, grove; severed portion; fragment, cut...
na'auao: Learned, intelligent, enlightened; learning, science...
namu: 1) Unintelligible muttering, gibberish; any foreign language, especially English; to speak gibberish or a foreign language...
ni'au kani: A true Jew's harp, made of a thin strip of wood, about four inches long and one inch wide, with a coconut midrib (ni'au) or bamboo strip lashed lengthwise; played something like the 'ukeke.
no'eau: Cle-ver, skillful, dexterous, wise, artistic.
noho: Seat, chair, stool, bench, saddle...2) To live, dwell; to be in session; to stay, tarry; to marry...
'oha: Taro growing from the older root, especially iron the stalk called kalo; tender plant...
'ohana: 1) Family, relative, kin group; related. 2) To gather for family prayers (short for pule 'ohana)
'oiwi: Native, native son...
'okina: Cutting off, ending, severance, separation. 2) Glottal stop.
ola: Life, health, well-being, living, livelihood, means of support, salvation; alive, living; spared, recovered; healed, to live; to spare, save, heal, grant life...
'olani: 1) To toast over a fire, broil, warm in sunlight...
'olelo: Language, speech, word; to speak, say, tell; oral, verbatim, verbal...
'opu ali'i: (Same as na'au ali'i - kind, thoughtful, forgiving, possessed of aloha. Lit., chiefly heart:. )
papa: Flat surface, stratum, layer, level, foundation, story of a building; class, rank, order, table; ...
pono: 1) Goodness, upriqhtness, morality, moral qualities, correct or proper procedures, excellence, well-being, prosperity, welfare, true condition or nature, duty; moral, fitting, proper, right, just, fair, beneficial, successful, in perfect order...
po'o kanaka: Human head, skill. Cf. heiau po'o kanaka
po'olua: Child sired by other than the husband, but accepted by both husband and sire; this acceptance increased the number of relatives of the child who -?ave their loyalty to him as kinsr.en; it thus fostered the prestige of children of chiefs; translated "adulterous" in the 1843 Bible (Mar. 8.38), but changed in later editions.
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pu: 1) Large triton conch shell (Charonia tritonis); any wind instrument, as horn, trumpet, cornet...2) Gun, pistol...
pu'uhonua: Place of refuge, asylum, place of peace and safety.
uakoko: 1) A low-lying rainbow. Lit., blood ram. 2) A rain so heavy that it turns stream waters red-brown with the wash of the hillside...
'uhane: Soul, spirit, ghost; dirge or song of lamentation (rare); spiritual.
'ukeke: A variety of musical bow, fifteen inches to two feet long and about an inch and a half wide, with two or commonly three strings drawn through holes at one end. The strings were strummed. According to Roberts...the old experts made no sound with the vocal cords, but the mouth cavity acted as a resonance chamber. The resulting sound suggested speech and trained persons could understand.
uluwehi: Lush and beautiful verdure; a place where beautiful plants thrive; festively adorned.
unu: ...2) Altar, especially a crude one for fishermen or for the god Lono...
wahine: Woman, lady, wife; sister-in-law, female cousin-in-law of a man, queen in a deck of cards; womanliness, female, femininity; feminine; Mrs.; to have or obtain a wahine; to become a woman, as an adolescent...
wao: A general term for inland region, usually not precipitous and often uninhabited.
wehi: Decoration, adornment; to decorate.
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Glossary Of Legal Terms
Aboriginal title: A legal concept of title derived from a native group's use and occupancy of land from time immemorial.
Adverse possession: A principle that provides a method of acquired title of property by possession for a period of time fixed by statute and under certain conditions. The possession must be actual, adverse, under claim of right, open, and notorious.
Alienation of land: Conveyance or transfer of title to property.
Allodial: Free, owned without obligation to a superior feudal owner; the opposite of feudal.
Appurtenant water rights: Water rights used with the land for its benefit. In Hawaiian water law, a present right to use the amount of water used at the time of the award of the land under traditional Hawaiian land law.
Dictum: A remark by a court that is not essential to the ruling in the case; it does not have binding effect in later cases.
Extinguish title: The cancellation of a right to land.
Fast land: Land above the river banks, not subject to frequent erosion.
Fee simpie absolute title: Title that is absolute to a person and his heirs and assigns forever without limitation or condition.
Feudal, defeudalization: Feudal lands are those held from a superior on condition of providing him with services. Defeudalization is changing the system of laws to end feudal tenure in lands.
Geothermal development: Establishing a means for deriving energy from the heat of the earth's interior.
Inalienable: Not subject to alienation; the characteristics of those things that cannot be bought, sold, or transferred from one person to another. An example is certain personal rights such as liberty.
Navigable waters: Rivers and streams that afford a channel for useful commerce. Waters are "navigable waters of the United States" when they form, by themselves or by uniting with other waters, a continuous highway over which commerce is or may be carried on with other states or foreign countries in the customary ways oy which such commerce is conducted by water.
Patent (land patent): The document by which a state or government grants public land to an individual.
Prescriptive water rights: Rights to use surface waters that are acquired by long-term use.
Prorogue: To suspend or end a legislative session.
Quit claim: To release or relinguish a claim in land.
Recognized title: The right to occupy and use certain lands permanently that the United States has specifically granted by law or statute to a native group.
Title: The means by which the owner of lands had the possession of his property. It is the union of all the elements that constitute ownership.
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