Meaning & History
Apikalia is the Hawaiian form of the English name Abigail. It represents the Hawaiian adaptation of Abigail, a name that traveled from ancient Hebrew through the Bible into European usage and was ultimately brought to Hawaii by missionaries in the 19th century. The Hawaiian language lacks certain consonants, so the original 'b' sound become 'p', and the 'g' became 'k', with vowels adjusted to fit Hawaiian phonology.
Etymology
Apikalia derives from Abigail, which comes from the Hebrew name אֲבִיגָיִל ('Aviḡayil). This name is composed of two elements: אָב (ʾav) meaning "father" and גִּיל (gil) meaning "joy". Thus, the original name means "my father is joy" or "my father is joy". This name appears in the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) as that of the wife of Nabal and later as the third wife of King David (Samuel 25).