palaoa
/paˈlao̯.a/
palaoa is the Hawaiian word for bread.
The term palaoa is used to refer to bread, a food item that was not part of the traditional pre-contact Hawaiian diet.
Meaning: baked dough made from cereals (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, palaoa means 'whale'.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 3 syllables and the stress is on the second syllable: /paˈlao̯.a/.
Did you know?
- The word palaoa is a phonetic adaptation of the English word 'flour' rather than a native Hawaiian term.
- While English speakers use the word 'breadfruit' for a specific fruit, in Hawaiian, the fruit is called ʻulu and has no linguistic connection to the word for wheat-based bread.
- Because wheat struggles to grow in volcanic soil, palaoa was once a rare luxury imported from other countries.
Examples in context
- ʻO ka palaoa kēia.This is bread.
- Makemake au e ʻai i ka palaoa.I want to eat bread.
Example conversation
Noelani and Kai are preparing a meal in the kitchen.
- NoelaniKai, aia ka palaoa?Kai, is the bread there?
- KaiʻAe, aia ma ka pahu.Yes, it is on the shelf.
- NoelaniE kōkua mai e huki i ka palaoa.Please help me get the bread.
- KaiʻOia mau, e hāʻawi mai.Of course, give it here.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “bread” translations and entries palaoa, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries palaoa, CC BY-SA 4.0.
