Hawaiian Verb · Spirit
hoʻākua
Pronunciation: /ho-oh-AH-koo-ah/
Meaning
To deify, to make divine, to worship. The act of reverence and elevation to a sacred status.
Example sentences
ʻO ka hana nui a ka poʻe kahiko, ʻo ia ka hoʻākua i ko lākou mau kūpuna.
The great work of the ancient people was to deify their ancestors.
Ua hoʻākua lākou i ka lā i mea e mahalo ai i ka mālamalama a me ka wela.
They deified the sun in order to honor the light and warmth.
ʻAʻole pono ka hoʻākua i kekahi kanaka maʻamau, akā pono ke hoʻomaikaʻi aku i ko lākou mau hana maikaʻi.
It is not right to deify an ordinary person, but rather to praise their good deeds.
About this word
“hoʻākua” is a Hawaiian verb meaning To deify, to make divine, to worship. It is part of the ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi (Hawaiian language) vocabulary in the category of Spirit. Definitions are based on the Pukui-Elbert Hawaiian Dictionary.