Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- n. Hawaii A Hawaiian of Polynesian descent; a Native Hawaiian.
- n. Australian & New Zealand A South Sea Islander, especially one brought to Australia as a laborer in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Often used disparagingly.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- n. A Hawaiian or Sandwich Islander. Also Kanacha, Kanaker, Kanak.
- n. One of the brown laborers brought from the Pacific islands, on a three years' agreement, and largely employed in northern Queensland, especially on the sugar-plantations.
Etymologies
- Hawaiian, human being, Kanaka. (American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition)
Examples
“Also, at the moment of delivering each kick, he called the Kanaka a black heathen.”
“As the plantations in Queensland increased, they required more labourers than were willing to leave their homes in the South Sea Islands; and, as the captains of vessels were paid by the planters a certain sum of money for every "Kanaka" they brought over, there was a strong temptation to carry off the natives by force, when, by other means, a sufficient number could not be obtained.”
“This name, "Kanaka," they answer to, both collectively and individually.”
Two years before the mast, and twenty-four years after: a personal narrative
“* The word 'Kanaka' is at the present day universally used in the South”
“Percival Ford looked at the Kanaka half-breed who played under the hau tree, and it seemed, as by some illumination, that he was gazing on a wraith of himself.”
The House of Pride and Other Tales of Hawaii:The House of Pride
“From the masthead, across the palm-fringe, a Kanaka announced the lagoon and a small island in the middle.”
“The brown, breech-clouted Kanaka sailors moved languidly but quickly to head-sheets and boom-tackles.”
“Jackie-Jackie, a Tongan sailor of experience, served as a sort of bosun and semi-second mate over the mixed Kanaka crew.”
“But, at the right moment, I passed the tackle to the Kanaka, while”
“The Kanaka, pleased and self-conscious, took and gave a spoke.”
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘Kanaka’.
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Mahalo Hawaiʻi
The triggerfish humuhumunukunukuapuaa belongs on this list too.
ʻokina, U+02BB, mahalo, aloha, nene, a'a, muumuu, Malia, Leilani, Laysan, Laysan duck, Lani and 123 more...
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Monovocalic Proper
Capitalized words with only one of the vowels, with that vowel used at least three times. See also Monovocalics.
Pilgrimism, Photoshop, Taklamakan, Derek Jeter, Ruzuzu, Sagarmatha, Octomom, Sitsiritsit, Dahaka, Dodongo, Attacapa, Atalanta and 449 more...
Tweets
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