shaka

Origin uncertain. Shaka is not a word in the Hawaiian language, which lacks the /ʃ/ sound.

• IPA^(key): /ˈʃɑːkə/
• Rhymes: -ɑːkə

shaka (plural shakas)

1. A greeting gesture in which the thumb and little finger are extended while curling the three middle fingers in a semi-fist. Used to express a variety of positive meanings including "all right", "hello" and "goodbye".
   • 2008, December 27, photo caption, Reuters:

     US President-elect Obama flashes the 'shaka' before he greets a crowd […]

• Associated with Hawaii and with sports such as surfing, skateboarding, snowboarding, and skydiving.

• hang-loose sign

• Shaka sign on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

• Khasa, Sakha, hakas, kasha

From Ottoman Turkish şaka‎ (joke). Others propose Proto-Indo-European *yek- (“to speak”). Compare Latin iocus (“joke, jest”), Italian gioco (“game, prank, joke”) (compare Apulian dialect 'sheik' joke, prank), Old High German jehan, Welsh iaith, Breton jez.

shaka f (indefinite plural shaka, definite singular shakaja, definite plural shakatë)

1. a joke, prank

• hokë
• tallje
• shpoti

• IPA^(key): /ʃɛ.ka/
• Homophones: shakas, shakât

shaka

1. third-person singular past historic of shaker

From Turkish şaka (“joke”).

shaka f

1. joke (thing said to amuse)

From Arabic شَكّ‎ (šakk).

shaka (n class, plural shaka)

1. doubt
2. worry

• -shuku