makuahine bapetizo
The Hawaiian word for godmother is makuahine bapetizo.
makuahine bapetizo refers to a woman present at the christening of a baby who promises to help raise the child in a Christian manner.
Meaning: woman present at the christening of a baby who promises to help raise the child in a Christian manner (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is constructed by placing the noun 'mother' before the noun 'baptism'.
Did you know?
- The word bapetizo is a loanword derived from the English 'baptize', reflecting the influence of Christian missionaries in the 19th century.
- In traditional Hawaiian culture, the concept of a 'parent' expressed by makua often extended to a wide network of relatives rather than just biological parents.
- The word bapetizo demonstrates how Hawaiian adapts foreign words by adding vowels to fit a phonetic structure where every syllable must end in a vowel.
Examples in context
- E ʻimi nei au i kahi makuahine bapetizo hou.I am looking for a new godmother.
Example conversation
Noelani and Kai are discussing the upcoming christening of a child.
- NoelaniUa koho ʻoe i kāu makuahine bapetizo?Have you chosen your godmother?
- KaiʻAe, ua koho au i kaʻu hoʻohana.Yes, I have chosen my sister.
- NoelaniHe makuahine bapetizo maikaʻi ʻo ia.She will be a good godmother.
- KaiʻAe, Aloha wau iā ia.Yes, I love her.
