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haole

haole

5 9.9
A person not from Hawaii, often white and living or visiting the islands
  • noun
  • /ˈhaʊli/
  • Slur
: haole (término ofensivo; persona no nativa de Hawái, especialmente blanca)
  • Haole is our word for the people of the white race.
  • hapa-haole
  • haole man

Examples

  • What does a rich haole family want with Amy?

    Fiction book (1999)
  • At school, haole teachers served as models of behavior and thinking.

    Academic text (1995)
  • Every haole come here want land.

  • But why you bring this smooth talking haole over here?

  • Our oral tradition and language are not like the haole system.

    Fiction book (2002)
  • Why would a stranger from the mainland who was working for a rich haole family want to help her brother?

    Fiction book (1999)
  • Aloha, nui, my adorable little haole sister.

  • Many locals are friendly to visitors, but some view a haole with suspicion.

  • During the festival, a haole performed traditional Hawaiian music.

  • The term haole is commonly used to describe people of European descent in Hawaii.

Synonyms

malihini
vshaole
  • US
1 9.9

A person new to a place who does not know local customs

focuses on birthplace or race rather than cultural unfamiliarity
malahini
vshaole
  • US
9.9

A person who is new to Hawaii and not from the islands

implies the person is white rather than only being non-native

Surface Forms

haole singular
haoles plural

Etymology

The word haole comes from Hawaiian, and a common story says it combines ha 'breath' and ole 'without', a simple image that once marked people who were not local. So haole as a noun now means a person who is not native to Hawaii, often a white or mainland visitor.