punalua

noun

pu·​na·​lua

ˌpünəˈlüə

plural -s

1

: a group marriage formerly practiced in Hawaii in which a group of brothers is married to a group of sisters or in which the husbands are of the same kinship group and the wives are members of another kinship group

2

: the two or more husbands of a wife or the two or more wives of a husband in such a group marriage

3

: the relationship of the persons in such a form of marriage

Word History

Etymology

Hawaiian

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