kanaka hahai holoholona
/kaˈna.ka haˈhai̯ ˌho.lo.hoˈlo.na/word by word
The Hawaiian word for hunter is kanaka hahai holoholona.
kanaka hahai holoholona refers to a person who hunts animals.
Meaning: person who hunts animals (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /kaˈna.ka haˈhai̯ ˌho.lo.hoˈlo.na/. It has 9 syllables, with the stress on the 2nd syllable.
Did you know?
- In Hawaiian culture, the act of hunting was historically tied to the kapu system, where certain animals or seasons were forbidden to be hunted under strict religious laws.
- The component holoholona is derived from holoholo, which means 'to go for a walk'. In this context, the phrase literally describes someone who is 'walking' or 'traveling' in pursuit of an animal.
- The word kanaka shares an ancient ancestor with the Māori word tangata and the Samoan word tagata, all of which mean 'person'.
Example conversation
Ikaika and Leilani are discussing their grandfather's skills.
- IkaikaHe kanaka hahai holoholona pono kou kupuna.Your grandfather was a good hunter.
- LeilaniʻAe, ua aʻo ia ia ia.Yes, he taught me.
- IkaikaHiki pū iā ʻoe ke hahai holoholona?Can you hunt animals too?
- LeilaniʻAʻole, ʻaʻole au he kanaka hahai holoholona.No, I am not a hunter.
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (kanaka, hahai, holoholona) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries hahai, holoholona, kanaka, CC BY-SA 4.0.
