The term is cognate with Māori kōhanga, meaning "nest".
The root word ʻohā refers to the root or corm of the kalo, or taro plant (the staple "staff of life" in Hawaii), which Kanaka Maoli consider to be their cosmological ancestor.
In contemporary Hawaiian real estate jargon, an "ʻohana unit" is a type of secondary suite.
It is a part of a house or a separate structure on the same lot that may contain a relative but which may not be rented to the general public.
[1][2][3] The word is referenced in Disney's 2002 film, Lilo & Stitch, and throughout its franchise ("ʻOhana means family.