The word "eye" in Hawaiian is "maka", which is also a cognate of "mata" in most Austronesian languages.
【Hawaiian alphabet contains 12 letters:
5 vowels (a, e, i, o, u) and 7 consonants (h, k, l, m, n, p, w)】
The ancestors of Hawaiian arrived in the Hawaiian Islands 1,000 years ago. The plants they brought with them on board were known as "canoe plants". Those plants and animals made their life easier and prevented the people from suffering in a completely unfamiliar new environment.
As we know today, hibiscus is a symbol of Hawaii, the state flower. Also it is an important plant both in functional and in aesthetic uses.
The bark of the hibiscus was used to make a strong cord for securing the boom in positions on their navigation vessels. And its bark fiber is also used to sew the pieces of tapa together to make tapa cloth.
Another usage of hibiscus is for ornamental purposes. Such as lai making and hair adornment. To tuck a hibiscus flower on the head has already become part of Austronesian culture. Not only seen in Hawaii, many other islands, such as Fiji, Malay, Philippines, Samoa, and Madagascar, all have the same custom.
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