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Glite Dictionary
malihini

malihini

1 9.9
A person new to a place who does not know local customs
  • noun
  • /ˌmɑːlɪˈhiːni/
  • US
: forastero
  • As a malihini, he was eager to learn about Hawaiian traditions and customs.

Examples

  • The malihini enjoyed the warmth of the locals as they shared stories of the islands.

  • "The chopper was still on the lawn in front of Malihini House, and Tanner must have been at Stephanie and Ben's.

    Fiction book (1999)

  • Making no further demands for instructions on how to work the remote control, I picked up the phone and punched in the number for Malihini House.

    Fiction book (1999)

  • Makahiki malihini who

    High School Musical 2 (2007)

  • Malihini means newcomers.

    Blue Hawaii (1961)

  • Humu, humu, nuku, nuku, a pua'a Makahiki malihini who

    High School Musical 2 (2007)

  • Being a malihini, she found it fascinating to explore the unfamiliar surroundings of Hawaii.

Synonyms

foreigner
vsmalihini
1 3.7

A person not accepted by a group

focuses on recent arrival unfamiliar with local customs rather than general outsider status
malahini
vsmalihini
  • US
9.9

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

has the same meaning but uses an alternative spelling

Surface Forms

malihini singular
malihinis plural

Etymology

The word malihini comes from Hawaiian and means 'newcomer' or 'stranger', first used for people arriving on the islands. So today malihini is used for someone who is new to Hawaii or not familiar with local customs.