| Hawaiian Words |
Pronunciation |
Meanings |
| māpu |
[MAH' poo] |
fragrance, especially
wind-blown fragrance; wafting. Figuratively: surging, as emotion. |
| ke `ala |
[keh ah' lah] |
fragrance, perfume (when
preceded by ke, which means "the". Figuratively,
esteemed. |
pīkake
|
[PEE kah' keh]
Photo courtesy of Hawaiian Island Wedding Planners
|
The Arabian jasmine (Jasminum
sambac) introduced from India, a shrub or climber, with rounded,
dark-green leaves and small, white very fragrant flowers used for
lei-making; also, Peacock, peafowl, said to have been introduced to Hawai`i
about 1860. They are wild on Ni`ihau and at Wai`anae, O`ahu.
Since Princess Ka`iulani
was fond of both these
flowers and her peacocks (pīkake), the same name was given for the
flowers. She was affectionately known as the "Princess of the
Peacocks." Sadly, this crown princess died young from
rheumatic fever, probably resulting from a riding trip in the rain.
|
|
"The
pikake was believed to have been introduced by the Chinese.
Its
flowers was popular for its scent and was used for
ornamentation and to flavor tea. The
plant and its very fragrant white flowers got its Hawaiian name from
Princess Kai'ulani who called it pikake (peacock) after the peacocks
that lived among the bushes in her garden. The peacocks and
pikake were amoung her most prized possessions. Because
of its fragrance the pikake is one of the most popular kind of lei
today. It is the lei for courting, for marriage ceremonies and for
honoring women in general.
If you are gifted with one strand of pikake, you feel good. If you
receive two strands, you feel great! Six strands, you are overwhelmed.
Twelve strands, you are ecstatic. If you receive a lei poepoe, you
are beside yourself!" ~ Marie A. McDonald, KA LEI, THE LEIS OF
HAWAII.
Click here for pīkake lei pictures: http://www.hawaiibride.com/customs/lei2.html |
| aheahe |
[ah heh ah' heh] |
soft, gentle in sound; weak |
| ka makani |
[kah mah kah' nee] |
ka = the
makani
= breeze, wind |
| aloha
|
[ah loh' hah]
|
love, affection,
compassion, mercy, sympathy, pity, kindness, sentiment, grace, charity;
greeting, salutation, regards; sweetheart, lover, lover, loved one;
beloved, loving, kind, compassionate, charitable, lovable; to love, be
fond of; to show kindness, mercy, pity, charity, affection; to venerate;
to remember with affection; to greet, to hail. Greetings! Hello!
Good-by! Farewell! Alas!
alo = presence, front, face
hā =
breath "The presence of (Divine) Breath" More... |
| "And
wherever a Hawaiian went he said 'Aloha' in meeting or in parting.
'Aloha' was a recognition of life in another. If there was life there
was mana, goodness and wisdom, and if there was goodness and wisdom
there was a god-quality. One had to recognize the 'god of life' in
another before saying 'Aloha,' but this was easy. Life was everywhere--
in the trees, the flowers, the ocean, the fish, the birds, the pili
grass, the rainbow, the rock--in all the world was life--was god--was
Aloha. Aloha in its gaiety, joy, happiness, abundance. Because of Aloha,
one gave without thought of return; because of Aloha, one had mana.
Aloha had its own mana. It never left the giver but flowed freely and
continuously between giver and receiver. 'Aloha' could not be
thoughtlessly or indiscriminately spoken, for it carried its own power.
No Hawaiian could greet another with 'Aloha' unless he felt it in his
own heart. If he felt anger or hate in his heart he had to cleanse
himself before he said 'Aloha'." ~ Queen Liliu`oukalani
|
| poina `ole
|
[poi' nah oh' leh]
|
unforgotten
poina = forgot;
forgotten `ole = not; without
|
| au |
[au] |
I |
| pua |
[poo' wah] |
blossom, flower |
| `ume / `ume`ume |
[oo' meh] /
[ oo' meh ooh'meh] |
to draw, pull, attract,
entice; attractive, alluring; also, a sexual game for commoners, the
counterpart of kilu, the chiefs' game. |
| `ohu`ohu |
[oh' hoo oh' hoo] |
adorned as with leis; also:
mist, fog, vapor, light cloud on a mountain. |
| `ako |
[ah' koh] |
to break or cut, as flowers;
to cut, shear, clip, trim, as hair. |
| kźia |
[KEH ee' yah] |
this |
| pili
|
[pee' lee]
|
be close, stick, cling,
adhere, touch |
| ka pu`uwai |
[kah poo oo vai'] |
the heart
ka = the pu`uwai = heart
Use of pu`uwai as a center
of emotions is probably a Western concept. Hawaiians believe that
the seat of emotions is the na`au (the gut; intestines)
|
| he lei |
[he lei] |
a lei he =
a lei = garland |
| pūlama |
[POO lah' mah] |
to care for, cherish,
treasure, save |
| puana |
[poo wah' nah] |
in music, the song theme, usually near the beginning of
the song; summary refrain.
|
| pālulu |
[PAH loo' loo] |
screen, shield, shade,
windbreak, window blind, visor |
| ko`u mana`o |
[koh' oo mah nah' oh] |
my thought/s ko`u =
my mana`o = thought |
| ku`u |
[koo' oo] |
This is an affectionate form
of the word "my," as in ku`uipo: ku`u =
my ipo = sweetheart. |
