Hawaiian

[huh-wahy-uhn, -wah-yuhn]

adjective

1. of or relating to Hawaii or the Hawaiian Islands.

noun

1. a native or inhabitant of Hawaii or the Hawaiian Islands.

2. the aboriginal language of Hawaii, a Polynesian language.

Hawaiian

/ həˈwaɪən /

adjective

1. of or relating to Hawaii, its people, or their language

noun

1. a native or inhabitant of Hawaii, esp one descended from Melanesian or Tahitian immigrants

2. a language of Hawaii belonging to the Malayo-Polynesian family

Word History and Origins

Origin of Hawaiian¹

First recorded in 1815–25; Hawaii + -an

Example Sentences

“The resort honors the culture of the many Hawaiians who are a part of the staff by supporting the Napili Kai Foundation which, in part, provides higher education scholarships.”

From Los Angeles Times

She makes references to King Kalakaua, Queen Lili’uokalani and other Hawaiian nobility few in a mainland audience are likely to know.

From Los Angeles Times

Chase Hay, outfitted in a palm-patterned Hawaiian shirt splashed with Rams logos, cut a looser figure while chatting with Chargers and Rams fans at the field level bar.

From Los Angeles Times

A comparison to “Shogun” is as good as inevitable, given the subtitled dialogue — most of the series is performed in Hawaiian — the encounters with outsiders, the ambitious monarchs and the warring factions.

From Los Angeles Times

Many Hawaiians have heeded official advice to leave coastal areas, after a powerful earthquake thousands of miles away near Russia prompted a tsunami warning in the US state and other parts of the Pacific.

From BBC