pulelehua
/ˌpu.le.leˈhu.a/
The Hawaiian word for butterfly is pulelehua.
pulelehua is a noun used to refer to the insect known as a butterfly.
Meaning: insect (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 5 syllables: pu-le-le-hu-a. The stress is on the fourth syllable. It is pronounced /ˌpu.le.leˈhu.a/.
Did you know?
- The word pulelehua descends from the Proto-Malayo-Polynesian root *bulajlaj, linking the Hawaiian word to languages spoken as far away as Madagascar.
- In Hawaiian culture, butterflies are often seen as messengers or manifestations of ancestral spirits returning to visit the living.
- If you were to describe the way a butterfly moves, you might use the root 'pulele', which is also found in the word for 'to jump' or 'to leap' in some Polynesian contexts.
Examples in context
- He pulelehua kēia.This is a butterfly.
- Ua ʻike aku au i ka pulelehua.I saw a butterfly.
- He nani ka pulelehua.The butterfly is beautiful.
Example conversation
Kiana and Keanu are walking in a garden.
- KianaKeanu, e nānā i ka pulelehua!Keanu, look at the butterfly!
- KeanuHe pulelehua polū ia.That is a blue butterfly.
- KianaHe nani loa kona lanakila.Its colors are very beautiful.
- KeanuʻAe, he mea kupaianaha ia.Yes, it is an amazing thing.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “butterfly” translations and entries pulelehua, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries pulelehua, CC BY-SA 4.0.
