Common Hawaiian-sounding Words … But Are They Hawaiian?

While we use them in common language, and most often think of them as traditional Hawaiian words, it seems some words are relatively new to the islands and not part of the traditional Hawaiian language. Words like Lūʻau, Palaka, Kaukau, Hui and Lomi Lomi Salmon, while Hawaiian sounding, appear to be new words and meanings to the lexicon in Hawaiʻi and are not ‘rraditional’ Hawaiian words.