pōpolo
Hawaiian
Etymology
From Proto-Polynesian *polo; cognate with Maori poroporo and pōporo (Solanum aviculare), Tongan polo and Tuvaluan 'opolo.[1] Skin color meaning comes from analogy to the color of its berries.
Noun
pōpolo
- black nightshade (Solanum nigrum).
- (slang, countable, sometimes pejorative) A black person.
Descendants
- → English: popolo
References
- “Polo”, in Te Māra Reo: The Language Garden, Benton Family Trust, 2022
Further reading
- Pukui, Mary Kawena; Elbert, Samuel H. (1986), “pōpolo”, in Hawaiian Dictionary, revised & enlarged edition, Honolulu, HI: University of Hawai'i Press, →ISBN