halan.
/ˈhalə/, /ˈhɑːlə/, U.S. /ˈhɑlə/ A pandan, Pandanus tectorius, found from Papua New Guinea and the Pacific Islands to Eastern Australia, which bears large, edible, segmented fruit, and whose leaves are traditionally used in weaving. More fully hala tree. Cf. lauhala n.
ΘΚΠ
the world > plants > particular plants > trees and shrubs > non-British trees or shrubs > [noun] > screw-pines
pandan1770
pandanus1770
screw pine1789
lauhala1815
hala1822
chandelier tree1830
screw palm1833
tent-tree1884
pandanad1892
1822 Missionary Herald (Boston) Sept. 274/1 To-day we obtained..a few roots of the Hala tree, which we planted in our yard, for the purpose of having shade trees.
1892 Catal. Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum II. 80 The fruit of the hala furnished, and still furnishes, necklaces both showy and odoriferous.
1922 A. Akana tr. D. M. Kaaiakamanu & J. K. Akina Hawaiian Herbs 41 The root of the ‘hala’ is very helpful for mothers who are weakened because of giving birth to a large number of children.
1943 Vogue 1 Aug. 28 (caption) Handwoven of lauhala, dried bark of the Hawaiian hala tree, this flat bag is a natural colour.
1997 Jrnl. Field Ornithol. 68 28 Vegetation on the crater walls is predominantly uluhe with an open canopy consisting of hala (Pandanus tectorius) and ohia (Meterosideros polymorpha) trees.
2016 Australian (Nexis) 6 Feb. (Travel section) 4 I could stay here all day amid the white hibiscus and hala trees.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2019; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
<
n.1822