ka lā
/ka ˈlaː/word by word
In Hawaiian, "the date" is said as ka lā.
ka lā refers to a specific day of the month or year.
How do you pronounce it?
/ka ˈlaː/
Did you know?
- The word lā shares an ancient linguistic ancestor with the Malay word layar, which means 'sail'.
- In traditional Hawaiian timekeeping, the word lā describes a solar day, while the moon's phases define the month and year.
- In Hawaiian, the concept of a 'date' is often expressed through the lā hoʻomanaʻo, which specifically refers to an anniversary or a memorable date.
Examples in context
- Ma ka lā 'ekolu o MeiOn the third day of May
Example conversation
Kiana and Ikaika are planning a party.
- KianaIkaika, he aha ka lā o ka pāʻina?Ikaika, what is the date of the party?
- IkaikaHe hale kōkua ia i ka lā ʻumikūmā ono.It is on the sixteenth.
- KianaʻO ka lā ʻumikūmā ono? Maikaʻi.The sixteenth? Good.
- IkaikaʻAe, e kākau i ka lā i kou puke.Yes, write the date in your book.
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (ka, lā) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ka, lā, CC BY-SA 4.0.
