HONOLULU (KHON2) – We all make use of our island roadways, but when was the last time you paid attention to their given names?
Did you know you could learn more about Hawaiʻi and our history if you did?
Our weekly “Aloha Authentic” segment highlights various streets across the islands so we can dig into those names, and in turn, learn something new.
Since this month is Hawaiian language month, this week, we learn a little ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi.
In the ahupuaʻa of Waipiʻo, which lies within the moku of ʻEwa here on Oʻahu, stands a street named after portions of your home.
We’re talking about Lumi St.
In Hawaiian language, when describing something, the noun is always stated first then followed by the adjective.
When we look at our own home, we can easily identify the different rooms that make up the house.
The generic Hawaiian word for “room” is lumi.
All you need to learn are the descriptive words that are to follow.
As you step into your home, most people walk straight into their living room where most entertainment takes place.
So, lumi as “room” and hoʻokipa as “to entertain” creates lumi hoʻokipa, meaning “living room.”
The kitchen is where meals are made.
The Hawaiian word for “meal” is ʻaina, so lumi ʻaina translates as “kitchen.”
The word moe can mean “to lie down” or “to sleep.”
So, lumi moe refers to the “bedroom.”
For the bathroom, because there are multiple things done there, there are a few terms used to describe it.
The word ʻauʻau means “to bathe.”
So, lumi ʻauʻau refers to the “shower room” or “bathroom.”
In addition, the word lua can also refer to the bathroom as lua means “hole” or “pit”, or in this case, the “toilet.”
And if you have an “office” in your house, you can simply use the word keʻena.
Please note that there are other words used in addition to these.
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Did you know? Now you do!