Dictionary

hapa en · NOUN · etymology 1

Pronunciation

• (General-American) audio
• (Southern-England) audio
• /ˈhɑpə/ (US)
• /ˈhæpə/ (US)

Etymology

Etymology tree Middle English half English halfbor. Hawaiian hapabor. English hapa Borrowed from Hawaiian hapa, from English half. Doublet of half.

Meanings

1. (California, Hawaii) A person of mixed ethnic heritage, especially half East or Southeast Asian or Pacific Islander and half White.
   • It's what my fiancé and I call ourselves, and how we think of the children we might have: second-generation hapas. But as the term grows in popularity, so does debate over how it should be used. Some people argue that hapa is a slur and should be retired. 2016 August 8, Akemi Johnson, “Who Gets To Be 'Hapa'?”, in NPR, archived from the original on 19 Apr 2021:

Forms

Deriveds

hapa haole · quapa

Relateds

haafu · Amerasian

hapa en · NOUN · etymology 2

Meanings

1. A mesh cage-like structure placed in the water to hold fish.
   • Usually one female is placed into a hapa with two males to insure that fertilization occurs. 2015, M. Chakroff, P. Corps, Freshwater Fish Pond Culture and Management, page 148:

Forms