Mastodawn

Hulahula == ballroom dancing
#hawaiianWordOfTheDay #ballroomDancing #HPR #HawaiianPublicRadio #hawaiian
https://www.hawaiipublicradio.org/hawaiian-word-of-the-day-april-27th

April 27th: Hulahula

Almost everyone knows that hula means, but did you know that hulahula means ballroom dancing with partners? Hulahula also means American dancing, ball, or even masked hula dancing. Don't confuse it with hula for the Hawaiian dance. Hulahula also has other meanings, such as the twitching of an eyelid, or the ceremonial killing of a pig and offering it to the gods during ceremonies dedicating a temple.

Hawai'i Public Radio

Moani Apr 20

Nahu == bite

#hawaiianWordOfTheDay #bite #HPR #HawaiianPublicRadio #hawaiian

https://www.hawaiipublicradio.org/hawaiian-word-of-the-day-april-20th

April 20th: Nahu

Nahu means to bite. And it can be the bite of anything – from an insect that bites, to the bite of a dog, or even the bite you take out of a piece of cake.

Hawai'i Public Radio

Moani Apr 13

Puni == surrounded
#hawaiianWordOfTheDay #surrounded #HPR #HawaiianPublicRadio #hawaiian https://www.hawaiipublicradio.org/hawaiian-word-of-the-day-april-13th

April 13th: Puni

Our Hawaiian word for today is puni meaning surrounded, controlled, overcome. Now that you know how to use the ho‘o prefix, you know that ho‘opuni can mean to surround, enclose, get control of: ho‘opuni.

Hawai'i Public Radio

Show thread

Moani Apr 10

…and here’s “dizzy” number #27 — yesterday’s Hulihua puzzle solution. “Pihoa” isn’t listed when looking up “dizzy” … but when you look up “pihoa,” the definition consists of the single word “dizzy”

#Hulihua No. 1559, 2026-04-09
#hawaiianWordOfTheDay #dizzy #learnHawaiian #hawaiian

Moani Apr 6

Leho == cowry shell
#hawaiianWordOfTheDay #cowryShell #HPR #HawaiianPublicRadio #hawaiian
https://www.hawaiipublicradio.org/hawaiian-word-of-the-day-april-6th

April 6th: Leho

Our Hawaiian word for today is leho for cowry shell. It is a very generic term for the cowry. Leho can be modified by adding other words to make the name specific for each of the many types of cowry, but leho will always work.

Hawai'i Public Radio

Moani Mar 30

Hōʻole == to deny

#hawaiianWordOfTheDay #deny #HPR #HawaiianPublicRadio #hawaiian
https://www.hawaiipublicradio.org/hawaiian-word-of-the-day-march-30th

March 30th: Hōʻole

Hōʻole means to deny, refuse, reject, veto and many more things of that nature. That's what the legislature did when they refused to pass the bill you wanted passed — hōʻole.

Hawai'i Public Radio

Moani Mar 23

Puana == refrain of a song
#hawaiianWordOfTheDay #refrain #HPR #HawaiianPublicRadio #hawaiian
https://www.hawaiipublicradio.org/hawaiian-word-of-the-day-march-23rd

March 23rd: Puana

For the caller who wanted to know what puana meant, as in the line so commonly used in the last verse of a song. In that case, puana means the attack or beginning of a song. Haʻina ʻia mai ana ka puana just means to start to tell the summary — refrain of the song.

Hawai'i Public Radio

Moani Mar 16

Pānini == cactus
#hawaiianWordOfTheDay #cactus #HPR #HawaiianPublicRadio #hawaiian
https://www.hawaiipublicradio.org/hawaiian-word-of-the-day-march-16th

March 16th: Pānini

Whether you use them as fences to keep cattle from strolling into your yard, or decoration in your home, pānini are a pretty popular plant in Hawaiʻi nei. Pānini is a cactus, from which we can also make liquor.

Hawai'i Public Radio

Moani Mar 14

Kīpuka == clearing in a lava flow where original vegetation grows.
#hawaiianWordOfTheDay #lavaFlow #volcano #lava #learnHawaiian #hawaiian

Moani Mar 10

Alaheʻe haole == mock orange
I posted this last year but I’m repeating because this time I have a photo of what I call mock orange. I ran across this shrub in Monterrey Park last week.
#hawaiianWordOfTheDay #mockOrange #HPR #HawaiianPublicRadio #hawaiian https://www.hawaiipublicradio.org/hawaiian-word-of-the-day-march-10th