kupuna kāne
/kuˈpu.na ˈkaː.ne/word by word
kupuna kāne is the Hawaiian way to say grandpa.
The term is used to refer to a grandfather. The core word kupuna refers to an older person, an elder or an ancestor.
Meaning: grandfather (informal) (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of kupuna, meaning elder or ancestor and kāne, meaning man, literally translating to elder man.
Which one should you use?
While kupuna kāne refers to a grandfather, kupuna wahine is used to refer to a grandmother.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In some regions and families, the word tutu is used to refer to both grandmothers and grandfathers.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /kuˈpu.na ˈkaː.ne/. It has 5 syllables, and the stress is on the 2nd syllable.
Did you know?
- The word kāne is used not only for 'man' or 'grandfather' but also to name the Hawaiian god of creation and forests.
- The concept of a kupuna implies a person who holds the responsibility of passing down oral traditions and cultural knowledge to the younger generations.
- The word kāne traces its roots back to a Proto-Malayo-Polynesian combination of words meaning 'human' and 'male'.
Examples in context
- He kupuna kāne kēia.This is a grandfather.
Example conversation
Ikaika and Malia are looking at an old family photo.
- IkaikaO wai kēia kupuna kāne?Who is this grandpa?
- MaliaʻO ia koʻu kupuna kāne.That is my grandpa.
- IkaikaHe kanaka haʻahaʻa ʻo ia.He is a humble man.
- MaliaʻAe, he mea kupaianaha ʻo ia.Yes, he is wonderful.
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (kupuna, kāne) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries kāne, CC BY-SA 4.0.
