shaka
See also: Shaka
English
Etymology
Origin uncertain. Shaka is not a word in the Hawaiian language, which lacks the /ʃ/ sound.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈʃɑːkə/
- Rhymes: -ɑːkə
Noun
shaka (plural shakas)
- A greeting gesture in which the thumb and little finger are extended while curling the three middle fingers in a semi-fist, used to express a variety of positive meanings including all right, hello and goodbye.
- 2008 August 10, “Obama: At Home in the Islands”, in New York Times[1]:
- Greet someone with the slang, “Howzit?” and say goodbye with a flash of the “shaka” sign (fist closed, thumb and pinky extended) and you have established your credibility with Hawaii natives.
- 2008 December 27, photo caption, Reuters:
- US President-elect Obama flashes the 'shaka' before he greets a crowd […]
Usage notes
- Associated with Hawaii and with sports such as surfing, skateboarding, snowboarding, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and skydiving.
Synonyms
Translations
greeting gesture
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See also
- Shaka sign on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
Anagrams
Albanian
Etymology
From Ottoman Turkish شقا (şaka, “joke”). Compare Turkish şaka.
Noun
shaka f (plural shaka, definite shakaja, definite plural shakatë)
French
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ʃɛ.ka/ ~ /ʃe.ka/
- Homophones: shakas, shakât
Verb
shaka
- third-person singular past historic of shaker
Japanese
Romanization
shaka
Ladino
Etymology
Noun
shaka f
- joke (thing said to amuse)
Rwanda-Rundi
Verb
-shāka (infinitive gushāka, perfective -shātse)
Swahili
Etymology
Borrowed from Arabic شَكّ (šakk).[1]
Pronunciation
Audio (Kenya): (file)
Noun
shaka class IX (plural shaka class X)
Related terms
References
- ^ Baldi, Sergio (30 November 2020) Dictionary of Arabic Loanwords in the Languages of Central and East Africa (Handbuch der Orientalistik; Erste Abteilung: Der Nahe und der Mittlere Osten; 145), Leiden • Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 168 Nr. 1497
Swazi
Etymology
Noun
shaka? class 1a (plural boshaka class 2a)
Inflection
This noun needs an inflection-table template.