Meaning of "ʻApau" in Hawaiian: Break, Scatter, or Hot-Tempered

The Hawaiian word ʻapau (often written with ʻokina) carries multiple related meanings centered on separation and intensity.

Primary Meanings

1. Verb: "to break off and scatter" / "to cut off"
   • Physical: A branch torn from a tree by wind, a piece cut from cloth
   • Figurative: Relationships severed, groups fragmented
2. Noun: "the act of breaking off" / "a fragmented piece"
   • Nā ʻapau: the broken/scattered pieces
   • Ka ʻapau ʻana: the process of breaking apart
3. Adjective (describing a person): "quick-tempered, prone to sudden emotional outbursts"
   • He kanaka ʻapau: a hotheaded person
   • Implies emotions that "break off" suddenly like a snapped branch

Example Sentences

1. ʻO ka makani i ʻapau i ka lālā o ke kumu lāʻau. — The wind tore the branch off the tree.
2. ʻOi aku ka nui o nā pua ʻapau ma mua o nā pua i koe ma ke kumu. — More broken flowers lay on the ground than remained on the plant.
3. He kanaka ʻapau ka punahele o koʻu kaikuwahine. — My sister's boyfriend is a hotheaded person.

Linguistic Notes

• ʻOkina (ʻ) represents glottal stop—critical for pronunciation and meaning
• Related: pau (finished, ended), ʻapau pau (completely scattered/destroyed)
• Context determines which meaning applies—action, result, or personality trait

ʻApau captures a distinctly Hawaiian worldview: things hold together until forces—wind, emotion, time—cause them to fly apart. The word itself embodies that tension.