ʻiole
/ʔiˈo.le/
The word for rat in Hawaiian is ʻiole.
ʻiole is the noun used to refer to a rodent, such as a rat.
Meaning: rodent (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
The word has three syllables and the stress is on the second syllable: /ʔiˈo.le/.
Did you know?
- In ancient Hawaii, the ʻiole was considered a delicacy and a food source rather than a pest.
- The ʻiole was one of the very few animals intentionally brought to the islands by the first Polynesian voyagers.
- The word ʻiole is a linguistic relative of the Māori word kiore, which is used in New Zealand to describe the Pacific rat.
Examples in context
- Ua ʻike ʻia ka ʻiole.The rat was seen.
- He ʻiole kēlā.That is a rat.
Example conversation
Kiana and Koa are cleaning the garage.
- KianaKoa, nānā i kēlā ʻiole!Koa, look at that rat!
- KoaAia ia! He nui ia.There it is! It is big.
- KianaHe ʻiole kiʻo kēlā paha?Maybe that is a wild rat?
- KoaʻAe, e haʻalele kākou.Yes, let's leave.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “rat” translations and entries ʻiole, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ʻiole, CC BY-SA 4.0.
