ENGLISH
REFERENCE

hawaiian

adj.
A2 Elementary US //həˈwaɪən// hawai·ian Dialect

adj. relating to the state of Hawaii, its people, or its language. You use this to describe things that come from these islands.

adj. relating to Hawaii, its inhabitants, or the Polynesian language spoken there. When referring to the people, it specifically denotes those of indigenous descent rather than all residents of the state.


SIMPLE

We enjoyed a delicious Hawaiian pizza for lunch.

CONTEXTUAL

The festival featured traditional Hawaiian music and dance performances throughout the afternoon.

COMPLEX

Scholars of linguistics often study the unique phonological structure of the Hawaiian language, which uses a remarkably small set of distinct sounds.

Origin

From Hawaii + -an.

Usage

Always capitalized. As a descriptor for people, it is often reserved for those with indigenous ancestry.

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