Wehewehe Wikiwiki Hawaiian language dictionaries

n., An endemic lobelia (Cyanea tritomantha), a small tree 2 to 3 m high, with clustered leaves (up to 78 by 20 cm), somewhat downy beneath. The leaves were cooked and eaten like cabbage.

• References:
  • Cf. ʻakūʻakū.

1. nvi., Bonito, skipjack (Katsuwonus pelamis 🌐), an important food; to run, of aku.

• Examples:
  • Ua aku ʻo Mahaiʻula (FS 287), bonitos are running at Mahaiʻula [place at Keāhole quadrangle, Kona, Hawaiʻi].
• Related:
  • Young of this fish are called kīnaʻu and ʻāhua.
• References:
  • PPN ʻatu.

2. Particle expressing direction away from the speaker, and time either past (with nei) or future (without nei, sometimes translated soon).

• Related:
  • Aku contrasts with mai and sometimes may be translated away.
  • Hele aku, go away.
  • Kūʻai aku, to sell.
  • Kēlā makahiki aku nei, last year.
  • Kēlā pule aku nei, last week.
  • ʻApōpō ā ia lā aku, day after tomorrow.
  • Nehinei ā ia lā aku, day before yesterday.
  • Kēia lā aku, later today, sometime today.
  • I aha ʻia aku nei? What happened a while ago?
  • Na Ioane aku i nā ʻekalekia (Hoik. 1.4), John said to the churches.
  • Aku + demonstrative lā is pronounced and written as a single word, akula. ʻĪ akula ʻoia, he said to someone far away (cf. aʻe #4).
  • Aku sometimes expresses the comparative degree: Nā mea nui aku i kēia, things larger than this.
  • In an idiom, aku is sometimes used as a noun after the plural definite article nā: I nā aku, right away, soon. He mea ʻai i nā aku (Kep. 121), food will be here soon.
• References:
  • Table 12 in Gram. 7.2.
  • PPN atu.