ʻelelū
The Hawaiian word for cockroach is ʻelelū.
ʻelelū is used to refer to the specific type of insect known as a cockroach.
Meaning: type of insect (noun)
Did you know?
- The presence of the ʻokina at the beginning of ʻelelū creates a sudden stop of breath that is not present in the English word 'yellow'.
- In local Hawaii Pidgin, people often bypass the formal ʻelelū and simply use the English word 'cockroach' or 'roach', reflecting the heavy English influence on the creole.
- The sounds in ʻelelū are part of a phonetic system that was originally an oral tradition, meaning the word was spoken for centuries before it was ever written down with an alphabet.
Examples in context
- Ua ʻike au i kahi ʻelelū.I saw a cockroach.
- He ʻelelū kēlā.That is a cockroach.
- Nānā i ka ʻelelū ma luna o ka papa.Look at the cockroach on the table.
Example conversation
Two men are cleaning the kitchen.
- NoelaniE nānā, he ʻelelū kēia!Look, this is a cockroach!
- IkaikaE kōkua iaʻu e lawe ʻike.Help me get rid of it.
- NoelaniUa hele ka ʻelelū i luna.The cockroach went upstairs.
- IkaikaE hele kāua i luna e ʻimi.Let's go upstairs to look for it.
