Re: Another look at the Hawaiian meaning of Lua

[Bertrand Mansion <lua@...>]

On Tue, Mar 3, 2009 at 7:32 PM, KHMan <keinhong@gmail.com> wrote:
> Stefan Sandberg wrote:
>>
>> As far as I know, 'lua' became slang for restroom in hawaii after
>> portuguese explorers used it to ask for the bathroom,
>> hinting at the carving of a crescent moon often decorating the door.
>>
>> No idea where the origins of the martial art comes from though, but I
>> doubt it's related, no :)
>
> [Sorry in advance if this is getting to OT]
>
> In the old days, outhouses are huts that have a hole in the ground. Hole ==
> lua. Why would anyone carve a crescent moon on the door of an outhouse?
> Mythology around the Pacific had a lot to say about 'princesses on the moon'
> kind of myths, so it is highly unlikely one would do something so negative
> as to associate a crescent moon with an outhouse. Also there is no intuitive
> match in meaning from crescent moon to outhouse.
>
> Are you sure someone wasn't pulling your leg? :-) Some independent
> confirmation of the story would be a good thing.

Lua means hole or pit in Hawaiian. I guess Hawaiians, like many other
people, use holes for toilets, so if you want to go to the toilets
there, you ask for the hole. It doesn't mean lua means toilets... It
has nothing to do with the Portuguese crescent moon although that made
me laugh :)

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-- 
Bertrand Mansion
Mamasam