Hawaiian Word of the Day: makua
makua: Parent, any relative of the parents’ generation, as uncle, aunt, cousin,; progenitor; Catholic father; main stalk of a plant; adult; full-grown, mature, older, senior. Fig., benefactor, provider, anyone who cares for one; the Lord (God). Kamika Makua, Smith Senior. Ē ka Makua (Ka Nonanona, beginning of a letter, Sept. 5, 1843), Sire. Makua Laiana, Father Lyons [the Hawaiians’ name for the Rev. Lorenzo Lyons, 1807-1886]. ‘O kö mäkou Makua i loko o ka lani, our Father who art in heaven. ho’omakua. To grow into maturity, mature; to act the part of a parent; to foster, adopt; as a child; to call or treat as a parent; to address as a parent, aunt, or uncle one related by affection rather than by blood or adoption; to become established or permanent. Ua ho’omakua aku au nona, I became his parent or guardian (Pukui & Elbert, 1971).