hoahānau
The Hawaiian word for cousin is hoahānau.
hoahānau is a noun used to describe the child of a person's parent's brother or sister.
Meaning: child of a person’s parent’s brother or sister (noun)
Did you know?
- Because hoahānau literally translates to 'born as a friend', it implies a bond of equality and companionship rather than just a blood relation.
- Hawaiian uses the same word hoahānau for first cousins, second cousins and distant cousins. There are no separate words to specify the exact degree of kinship.
- The term hoahānau can also be used poetically to describe two people who have grown up together as if they were family.
Examples in context
- He hoahānau kēia.This is a cousin.
- He hoahānau kēlā.That is a cousin.
