Hawaiian has 6 different meanings across 3 categories:
Noun · Adjective · Proper Noun
the Oceanic languages spoken on Hawaii
"The Hawaiian language is an Oceanic language that evolved from Polynesian roots after settlers arrived in the islands."
a native or resident of Hawaii
"Many hawaiians welcomed their visitors to the islands with traditional aloha greetings."
A descendant of the peoples inhabiting the Hawaiian Islands prior to European contact.
"The hula dancer wore traditional attire and spoke fluent Hawaiian, proudly representing her ancestry as a native descendant before European arrival."
In plain English: A Hawaiian is someone who was born in Hawaii or has strong ties to that place and its culture.
"We sat on the beach listening to our hawaiian tell us about traditional surfing techniques."
of or relating to or characteristic of the state or island of Hawaii or to the people or culture or language
"The hula dancers performed a traditional Hawaiian ceremony on the sandy beach."
Descended from the peoples inhabiting the Hawaiian Islands prior to European contact.
"The hula dancers were all of pure Hawaiian descent, tracing their lineage back to the islands' original inhabitants before Europeans arrived."
In plain English: Hawaiian describes anything that comes from Hawaii, including its people, culture, and islands.
"The hawaiian shirt was covered in bright floral patterns."
The Hawaiian language.
"The teacher encouraged students to learn hawaiian so they could recite traditional chants in their native tongue."
The word comes from Hawaii combined with the suffix -an. It originally meant "of or relating to Hawaii."