Are there any Hawaiian words I should know before visiting the islands?

-- Val Morim (beryloflaffs@hahahah.net), January 23, 1999

Answers

Lua is bathroom. Imu is the underground oven to cook the kalua pig. Kekei is children. Kokua is help or assistance. Alii is Hawaiian royalty. Pau hana is finish working.

-- Roy Inouye (roy@bothi.com), January 23, 1999.

Like any major city, there are places and people to avoid. For the most part, there are few crimes against tourist. Local and tourist alike run into rude people every so often 8((

-- Roy Inouye (roy@bothi.com), January 24, 1999.

pau = finished; mahalo = thank you; kane = men; wahine = women, kapu = keep out; ono = taste good; mauka = towards the mountain; makai = towards the ocean; poke = raw fish and sea weed; sashimi = raw fish.

-- Wally Evans (wevans@hcc.edu), January 23, 1999.

There's trouble if some locals are telling you "ufa mea" which is "f__ you."

-- Steven Helton (shelt@lava.net), January 24, 1999.

I am certain that MOST people in the islands would be helpful and not act unresponsibly toward visitors. I will, however, watch my step and try to smile when in doubt. As a local, do you run into problems with people and their "rude" language?

-- Anne Higgins (rhiggins@wilmington.ent), January 24, 1999.

haole is foreigner or now it means white person, luna is the boss, kamaaina is a native born or longtime resident, tutu is grandma, ohana is family.

-- Billy Bosnoda (bosnoda@lava.net), January 25, 1999.

Thought I should mention again "Mahalo" means thank you. My wife reminded me about our friends from the mainland who thought mahalo meant trash/rubbish as they kept seeing it on all the trash/rubbish containers 8)

-- Wally Evans (wevans@hcc.edu), January 26, 1999.