Samoan Lu'au
/səˈmoʊ.ən luːˈaʊ/noun
A Samoan communal feast or celebratory gathering, often featuring traditional foods, music, dance, and ceremony.
Did you know?The English word “luau” was borrowed from Hawaiian, while Samoan feasts are more specifically associated with the ʻumu earth oven and the communal ʻāiga, or extended family.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Polynesian
Proto-Polynesian
*luʔau
“A traditional food term reconstructed for the Polynesian language family; the exact original sense is debated.”
Early Polynesian languages
Polynesian
luʻau
“A food or dish associated with communal eating; forms and meanings developed differently across Polynesian islands.”
Pre-contact Samoa
Samoan
luʻau
“A feast or communal meal, within a culture where food exchange expresses kinship, status, and hospitality.”
18th–19th Century
Hawaiian
lūʻau
“Young taro leaves; the term later became associated with a feast because the dish was served at such gatherings.”
19th Century
English
luau
“An English borrowing referring to a Hawaiian feast or entertainment gathering.”
Modern English
English
Samoan lu'au
“A Samoan feast or cultural celebration, commonly presented with traditional food, dance, music, and ceremony.”