Keiki: Child, offspring. [Hawaiian]
Keiki hānai: Foster child. [Hawaiian]
Ken, Kenning: Perceiving knowledge, idea or situation beyond one’s normal range of sight or view. [Chiefly Scottish; from Middle English kennen, Old Norse kenna, and Old English, cennan].
Keoni: Diminutive form of “John.” [Hawaiian]
Koa: Acacia tree. [Hawaiian] An endangered species known for its fine grained wood. [Scientific name, Acacia koa.]
Ko`olau: Windward. [Hawaiian] One of two volcanic mountain ranges that divide the island of O`ahu.
Kūka`iau: Current appearing. [Hawaiian] A gulch, village, and ranch located on the island of Hawai`i.
Kuomintang: See Guómíndăng.
Kumu hula: Master teacher of hula. [Hawaiian]
L
Lānai: Porch, balcony. [Hawaiian]
Lanikai: Community on the southern edge of Kailua in windward O`ahu. [Hawaiian]
Labneh: Yoghurt and yoghurt cheese traditionally strained through a cloth. Popular ingredient in Middle Eastern cuisine, varying in texture, flavor, and usages.
Lei: Garland of flowers, leaves, shells, candy, or other decorations. [Hawaiian]
Lili`u`okalani, Queen: Only reigning queen and last monarch of the Hawaiian Kingdom [1838-1917]. Birth name, Lydia Lili`u Loloku Walania Wewehi Kamaka`eha; married name, Lydia K. Dominis. Her chosen royal name, Lili`u`okalani, is sometimes translated as scorching pain of the royal chiefess, referring to a relative’s eye pain at the time of her birth. She was the author of numerous poems, chants, and lyrics, and the book Hawaii’s Story By Hawai`i’s Queen. She was also an accomplished musician and the composer of the popular song Aloha `Oe [Farewell to Thee].
Loco moco: Popular Island breakfast entrée consisting of a hamburger patty topped with a sunny-side-up fried egg served on a bed of steamed white rice and topped with brown gravy.
Lo mein: Lāomiàn [Pinyin]. Chinese dish with sliced vegetables and soft noodles in seasoned sauce, often served with diced meat or shrimp.
Lū`au: Kalo [taro] tops. [Hawaiian] Modern name for an Hawaiian feast.
M
Mahalo: Thank you. [Hawaiian] Often printed on public garbage cans to encourage respect for keeping the environment clean.
Maile: Flowering tree shrub in the dogbane family. Its fragrant leaves are used for making a long, open lei. [Scientific name, Alyxia oliviformis]. [Hawaiian]
Makiki: To peck. [Hawaiian] Type of volcanic stone used as a fishing weight or adze. Neighborhood northeast of downtown Honolulu.
Malasada: [Portuguese] Deep-fried doughnut.
Māmaki: Flowering nettle plant. [Hawaiian] [Scientific name, Pipturus albidus].
Mānoa: Thick, solid, vast, deep. [Hawaiian] Valley and neighborhood northeast of downtown Honolulu. Location of the main campus of the University of Hawai`i.
Mao Zedong: [Pinyin] Mao Tse-tung [Wade Giles]. Chinese anti-imperialist nationalist and Marxist revolutionary [1893-1976]. In 1921 he was one of fifty founding members of the Communist Party of China. Although nominally united with the republican government of Chiang Kai Shek during World War II, he became the Chairman of the Communist Party in 1945. He then pursued the successful revolution that led to his establishment of the People’s Republic of China in 1949.
Mauka: Inland, toward the mountain. [Hawaiian]
Mochi: Molded Japanese rice cake made from glutinous rice paste.
Mukden: Shěnyáng [Pinyin]. Capital of PRC Liaoning province. Site of the 1931 Liutiaohu [or Manchurian] Incident, in which the Japanese Imperial Army fabricated an excuse for invading Manchuria, which they renamed Manchukuo [Mǎnzhōuguó, Pinyin] and occupied until 1945.
Mushu: Mù xū [Pinyin]. Chinese dish of stir-fried vegetables and egg, often with meat or fish. Served with or wrapped in thin pancakes.
Mu`umu`u: Cut short, maimed, amputated. [Hawaiian] Dress adapted from those of nineteenth-century Protestant Christian missionary women, often featuring short sleeves and no yoke.
N
Nu`uanu: Cool heights. [Hawaiian] Valley, stream and neighborhood north of downtown Honolulu.
O
O`ahu: The Gathering place. [Hawaiian] The third largest Hawaiian island; location of Honolulu, the state capital.
`Okina: A consonant in the Hawaiian language; glottal stop. A diacritical mark [`] used to indicate a break in sounding consonantal sounds, like that separating an interjection’s syllables, like “oh-oh.”
P
Pā`ina: Ancient word for Hawaiian feast. Now used for a meal or dinner party. [Hawaiian]
Pīkake: Peacock. [Hawaiian] Asian evergreen shrub or vine, it is a jasmine in the olive family that produces fragrant white flowers. [Scientific name, Jasminum sambac]
Plate Lunch: Popular Island meal with Asian style protein usually served with shredded cabbage, white steamed rice, macaroni salad, and sometimes pickled vegetables.
Plumeria: Flowering and fragrant tropical tree including the frangipani, a genus of flowering tree in the dogbane family. [Scientific name, Plumeria]
Provenance: Point of origin. [French] Record of ownership authenticating nature, origin, and history of art or antiques.
Pūne`e: Sofa, couch, pew. [Hawaiian]
Pūpū: Marine or land shell; circular motif; appetizer. [Hawaiian]
Pu`u o Kaimukī: Hill of Kaimukī. [Hawaiian]
S
Shànghăi: City at the mouth of the Yangtze River in the center of the coast of the PRC. Having the largest population of any city in China, or the world, it is classified as a province.
Shinai: Fencing stick. [Japanese] Practice sword used in Kendo, traditionally made of bamboo, now available in carbon.
Sichuan: Also Szechwan. Style of Chinese cuisine originating in Sichuan Province in the southwestern part of the PRC.
Sūn Yat-Sen: Dr. Sūn Yìxiān [Pinyin], born Sūn Wen [1866-1925]. Chinese revolutionary who helped overthrow the Qing Dynasty [1644-1911] and co-founded the Guómíndăng political party. As first provisional president of post-imperial China, he is honored by republicans and communists as the Father of Modern China. Attended `Iolani School in Honolulu, where King David Kalākaua presented him an award for English grammar. He subsequently attended Punahou School.
T
Taijitu: Also Tai Chi. Great pole, highest point or goal. [Chinese] Symbol for duality within the universal, indivisible wholeness. Meeting of yin and yang, dark and light, female and male, moon and sun.
Tan Heong Shan: Tánxiāng [Pinyin]. Fragrant Sandalwood Mountain. Name for Hawai`i, as used by Chinese immigrants. Today the word specifies the city of Honolulu.
Tierce: Also trifecta. A type of horse race bet, in which the bettor selects the exact order of placement by the top three horses.
U
`Ukulele: Flea. [Hawaiian] Small Portuguese guitar made popular by a lively British army officer nicknamed `ukulele.
Una: Tortoise shell. [Hawaiian]
W
Wahine: Girl, woman, lady. [Hawaiian] Something reflecting femininity.
Waikīkī: Spouting water. [Hawaiian] Name of a chiefess; famous beach on island of O`ahu.
Wauke: Paper mulberry tree. [Hawaiian] [Scientific name, Broussonetia papyrifera]
Y
Yang: Masculine force in nature [Chinese], expressed in sun, light, white, gold, and strength. Chinese surname; clan and dynasty.
Yin: Feminine force in nature, [Chinese] expressed in moon, darkness, black, silver, and passivity. Chinese surname and dynasty.
Yue: Southern state in ancient China. Dialect of Chinese spoken in the Guǎngdōng Province in the southern part of the PRC.
Yum cha: Tea tasting, drinking tea or having tea time with food. [Chinese]
Z
Zhōngguó: Central State. [Chinese] The most common name for China
since antiquity.
Zhū lián bì hé: Perfect strand of jade and pearl gems. [Chinese]
Zhū yù: Pearl and jade. [Chinese]
Table of Contents
PROLOGUE
CHAPTER 1
CHAPTER 2
CHAPTER 3
CHAPTER 4
CHAPTER 5
CHAPTER 6
CHAPTER 7
CHAPTER 8
CHAPTER 9
CHAPTER 10
CHAPTER 11
CHAPTER 12
CHAPTER 13
CHAPTER 14
CHAPTER 15
CHAPTER 16
CHAPTER 17
CHAPTER 18
CHAPTER 19
CHAPTER 20
CHAPTER 21
EPILOGUE
NOTES AND ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF THE HAWAIIAN LANGUAGE
GLOSSARY OF NON-ENGLISH& SPECIALIZED VOCABULARY
Prospect for Murder (Natalie Seachrist Hawaiian Cozy Mystery 1) Page 29
