the word 'ukulele' entered english from hawaiian in the late 19th century. in hawaiian, it is a compound meaning "jumping flea" (from 'uku' "flea" and 'lele' "to jump"), reportedly a nickname given to the lively, fast-fingered playing style of an early portuguese immigrant, joão fernandes. the instrument itself is a development of the portuguese 'machete' or 'braguinha', a small guitar-like instrument brought to hawaii by portuguese laborers. thus, the term's literal meaning in hawaiian humorously describes the player's action, which then became the name for the instrument itself.

the word is a direct loanword from hawaiian. it does not consist of separable morphemes within the english spelling system.