Glossary
The words below are utilized within this book and are intended to provide a basic reference. As with translations of any language, these words may have a more complex or multiple meanings. Not all pidgin words will be listed especially when the English word can be readily recognizable, such as da for the, den for then, dey for they, dis for this, and the like.
Aloha shirt: A man’s Hawaiian shirt
Aloha: Hello or farewell
CEO: Chief Executive Officer
Da Boss: God
Da Bomb: The best
Gut: Good
Hale: House
Haole: White people or tourist
Hukilau: A beach celebration involving catching and cooking fish and other foods with live music and dance
Hula: Hawaiian dance
Imu: Hawaiian underground oven
Kam: Come
Kama’aina: A local person
Keiki: Child or little one
Kiawe: Mesquite tree
Klinim: Clean
Kokua: Help
Laikem: Like them
Lanai: Porch or veranda
Lei: A necklace of Hawaiian flowers
Lolo: Crazy or Loko
Luau: A large outdoor party with live music and dance generally with pig cooked in an Imu
Luka: Ruth in Hawaiian
Mauka: Mountain or uphill side
Missionary dress: A long loose fitting dress with long sleeves and a high neck
Mo betta: More better
Mongoose: A long slender mammal that looks somewhat like a squirrel with short legs and a faintly bushy tail
Muumuu: Cut-off also a Missionary dress with short or no sleeves and an exposed neck
Nau: Now
Néné: Hawaiian geese
Nidim: Need them
Nui: Great, big, grand, much
Ohana: Extended Hawaiian Family
Pakalolo: Marijuana
Paniolo: Cowboy
Poi: A purple edible paste made from mashed fermented taro root
Shi shi: Urinate or use the bathroom
Slippahs: Slippers, zoris, flip-flops, sandals, or other slip-on footwear
To da max: To go all out
Ukulele: A small four stringed Hawaii guitar
Wikiwiki: Super-fast
Wok: Work
Zoris: Flip-flops, slippahs, go-aheads