shaka

See also: Shaka

English

The shaka

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)

1. 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

• hang-loose sign

Translations

greeting gesture

• Polish: shaka (pl) f
• Portuguese: hang loose m (Brazil), sinal do Ronaldinho m (Brazil, slang)

See also

• Shaka sign on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Anagrams

• Khasa, Kasha, Sakha, hakas, Akash, kasha

Albanian

Etymology

Borrowed from Ottoman Turkish شقا (şaka, “joke”). Compare Turkish şaka.

Noun

shaká f (plural shaka, definite shakaja, definite plural shakatë)

1. joke, prank

   Synonyms: hokë, tallje, shpoti

Further reading

• “shaka”, in FMGJSH: Fjalor i madh i gjuhës shqipe (in Albanian), 2026

French

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʃɛ.ka/ ~ /ʃe.ka/
• Homophones: shakas, shakât

Verb

shaka

1. third-person singular past historic of shaker

Japanese

Romanization

shaka

1. Rōmaji transcription of しゃか

Ladino

Etymology

From Turkish şaka (“joke”).

Noun

shaka f

1. joke (thing said to amuse)

Rwanda-Rundi

Verb

-shāka (infinitive gushāka, perfective -shātse)

1. want
2. look for, seek

Swahili

Etymology

Borrowed from Arabic شَكّ (šakk).

Pronunciation

• Audio (Kenya):

  (file)

Noun

shaka class IX (plural shaka class X)

1. doubt
2. worry
3. (computing) error

Related terms

• -shuku

Swazi

Etymology

Borrowed from English shark.

Noun

shaka^? class 1a (plural boshaka class 2a)

1. shark

Inflection

This noun needs an inflection-table template.