lavalava

or la·va-la·va

[ lah-vuh-lah-vuh ]

noun

1. the principal garment in Polynesia, especially in Samoa, consisting of a piece of printed cloth worn as a loincloth or skirt.

Word History and Origins

Origin of lavalava¹

First recorded in 1890–95; from Samoan: “clothing”

Example Sentences

Moana’s players wear yellow ie lavalava — the signature wraparound skirts of Polynesia.

From Seattle Times

They had almost all shirts of scarlet flannel, and lavalavas, the Samoan kilt, either of scarlet or light blue.

From Project Gutenberg

You should have seen Leuelu's sisters in silk bodices trimmed with gold braid, and green velvet lavalavas bordered with plush furniture fringe!

From Project Gutenberg

The clothing worn by the men and woman was nothing but the 'lavalava,' a scarf of sea-grass fiber about 18 inches wide and five feet long.

From Project Gutenberg

The batter and a teammate run to opposite ends of the concrete pitch, crossing each other in the middle with their ie lavalava flying.

From Seattle Times