Hawaiian Word of the Week: Kane

Last week, our word of the week was ‘wahine’ meaning woman. So this week, we look at the word for male/man, which is “kane” (pronounced ‘kah-neh’). 

Kane refers to a male such as a husband, brother-in-law, or your male sweetheart. But for Hawaiians “Kāne” has another meaning. 

Kāne, in Hawaiian mythology, is one of the four major gods. These gods created the world and its people. It is believed that Kāne took a special magical clay and created a head. Together the four gods created the first man, in the image of Kāne…and breathed life into the man they created. 

(Side Note: the Hawaiian greeting of aloha was originally spoken while touching foreheads and exchanging a breath of air…which is believed to come from this mythological legend.)

Do you know a strong kane in your life?

Never miss a Hawaiian word/phrase of the week when you sign up for our newsletter. Looking to keep the aloha vibes going all year long? We got you covered.