English 'ukulele' from Hawaiian 'ʻukulele' (jumping flea) — a Portuguese instrument adapted in Hawaii and given a Hawaiian name.
A small four-stringed guitar-like instrument of Hawaiian origin.
From Hawaiian 'ʻukulele,' probably from 'ʻuku' (flea) + 'lele' (jumping), literally 'jumping flea.' The name may refer to the quick, flea-like movement of the fingers on the strings, or it may be a nickname for Edward Purvis, a small, lively British officer in the Hawaiian court who helped popularize the instrument. The ukulele itself developed from the Portuguese 'machete' or 'braguinha,' a small stringed instrument brought to Hawaii by Madeiran immigrants in 1879. Key roots: ʻuku (Hawaiian: "flea, louse"), lele (Hawaiian: "jumping,
The ukulele was born from a cross-cultural encounter: in 1879, Portuguese immigrants from Madeira arrived in Hawaii aboard the SS Ravenscrag, bringing with them the 'machete de braga' (a small guitar-like instrument). Hawaiians adapted the instrument, gave it a new name meaning 'jumping flea,' and King David Kalākaua championed it as a Hawaiian national instrument. It means the ukulele is actually a Portuguese instrument with a Hawaiian name that became globally famous through
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