# What does this hawaiian word mean?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-hawaiian-word-mean/192467>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [August 2, 2003, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-hawaiian-word-mean/192467 "2003-08-02T00:14:07Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 9\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Diakaryu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9a140/32.png) [@Diakaryu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diakaryu)\
**Post date:** [August 2, 2003, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-hawaiian-word-mean/192467/1 "2003-08-02T00:14:07Z")

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kauwa

and whats a good hawaiian word for Pet or Dog?

Thanks much

D.

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**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\
**Post date:** [August 2, 2003, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-hawaiian-word-mean/192467/2 "2003-08-02T00:18:47Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> _kauwa_ - social outcasts, untouchables, possibly lawbreakers or war captives, considered unclean to aristocrats.

From [here.](http://www.cr.nps.gov/history/online_books/kona/historyg.htm)

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**Author:** ![Reeder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Reeder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeder)\
**Post date:** [August 2, 2003, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-hawaiian-word-mean/192467/3 "2003-08-02T00:20:54Z")

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It means social outcast or one of the “untouchables”.

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**Author:** ![T.Slothrop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3e96dc/32.png) [@T.Slothrop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/T.Slothrop)\
**Post date:** [August 2, 2003, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-hawaiian-word-mean/192467/4 "2003-08-02T00:26:24Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> and whats a good hawaiian word for Pet or Dog?

Kiko. it means spot.

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**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\
**Post date:** [August 2, 2003, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-hawaiian-word-mean/192467/5 "2003-08-02T01:11:26Z")

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My Hawaiian friend’s dog is “Pakalolo” - Paka for short.

He’s kind-of a stoner…(the friend, hopefully not the dog)

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**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\
**Post date:** [August 2, 2003, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-hawaiian-word-mean/192467/6 "2003-08-02T01:42:18Z")

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Pet: Punahele, milimili (favorite); Hamohamo (to caress)

Dog: 'Ilio

The above translations were provided by [http://www.yourdictionary.com/diction1.html#multi](http://www.yourdictionary.com/diction1.html#multi) which has a foreign word dictionary search function near the bottom of the page. Note that the apostrophe represents a glottal stop.

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**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\
**Post date:** [August 2, 2003, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-hawaiian-word-mean/192467/7 "2003-08-02T01:46:55Z")

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Top! Top! Near the top! Sorry about that folks.

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**Author:** ![HubZilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ccd318/32.png) [@HubZilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HubZilla)\
**Post date:** [August 2, 2003, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-hawaiian-word-mean/192467/8 "2003-08-02T02:06:41Z")

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Try Mahu

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**Author:** ![Geek\_Mecha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecae2f/32.png) [@Geek\_Mecha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Geek_Mecha)\
**Post date:** [August 2, 2003, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-hawaiian-word-mean/192467/9 "2003-08-02T05:45:34Z")

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Oh jeez.

How about Pilikia? It means “trouble”.