moa kāne
/ˈmo.a ˈkaː.ne/word by word
The Hawaiian word for rooster is moa kāne.
moa kāne is used to refer to a male chicken or a male gallinaceous bird.
Meaning: male chicken, male gallinaceous bird (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of moa, meaning chicken and kāne, meaning man or male.
Which one should you use?
While moa kāne refers to a rooster, you can specify a hen by using moa wahine, replacing the word for male with wahine, which means female.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈmo.a ˈkaː.ne/. The stress is on the first syllable of the four-syllable phrase.
Did you know?
- While moa means chicken, the word is shared with the extinct giant flightless bird of New Zealand, also called the moa.
- In Hawaiian mythology, Kāne is the name of the primary creator god and the father of all living things, sharing the same root as the word for 'male'.
- In traditional Hawaiian culture, the crowing of a moa kāne was sometimes interpreted as an omen or a signal for specific daily activities.
Examples in context
- Ua hele ka moa kāne i ka hale.The rooster went to the house.
Example conversation
Noelani and Keanu are visiting a farm.
- NoelaniHe moa kāne kēlā?Is that a rooster?
- KeanuʻAe, he moa kāne kēlā.Yes, that is a rooster.
- NoelaniHe nani kēlā moa kāne.That rooster is beautiful.
- KeanuHe mea maikaʻi kēlā.That is a good thing.
