Hawaiian Language

The Hawaiian language is a dialect of the Polynesian tongue, other variations of which are spoken by Samoans, Tahitians, Marquesans, Tuamotuans and Maoris. The Hawaiian alphabet has only 12 letters: A, E, I, O, U, H, K, L, M, N, P, and W.

The vowels are pronounced:

A as in father, E as in vein, I as "ee" in peep, O as on own, and U as "oo" in boo.

The consonants are pronounced:

H as in hale, K as in Kate, L as in laid, M as in moon, N as in noon, P as in peak, and W as in always.

Rules of the Hawaiian Language:

Every word must end in a vowel.
Every consonant must be followed by at least one vowel.
Every syllable must end in a vowel.
Divide into syllables for easy pronunciation: La/la/ni/a/na/o/le

Glossary of Hawaiian Words and Local Idioms

~A~

'a'a
Jagged, rocky lava.

'ahi
Yellowfin tuna.

'aina
Land, earth.

akamai
In most common usage, a modifier meaning smart, clever, or witty.

'akoko
From Pukui: Endemic shrubs and trees with jointed stems, opposite leaves and milky sap.

'a'kulikuli
A coastal herb, somewhat like wild portulaca, but with longer, narrower leaves, and with small white-to-magenta flowers.

ali'i
Chief, ruler, monarch.

aloha
There are over 30 shadings of meaning under the entry in Pukui's Hawaiian Dictionary. The most common are love, affection, compassion, kindness, greeting, farewell and regards.

'aumakua
A family or personal god or a deified ancestor who might assume the shape of an animal like a shark, octopus, bird or dog, or even an object like a rock or a cloud.

'awa
Kava. A plant of the pepper family that is native to Pacific islands, its root being the source of a narcotic drink.

~E~

'ena'ena
From Pukui: All species of cudweeds, members of the daisy family, small herbs having small inconspicuous flowers and more or less white woolly stems and leaves. Other meanings include glowing, red-hot, raging and unbearable stench.

'ewa
Area west of Honolulu, used as a direction term for west.

~H~

halau
A hula school; a meeting house for hula instruction.

hana hou
To do again, repeat, renew, repair, mend; encore.

ha'nai
A foster child or adopted child. Also used as a verb, as in to hanai a child.

haole
White person, Caucasian; American, English; formerly, any foreigner.

heiau
A place of worship or a shrine. Some heiau were elaborately constructed stone platforms, others simple earth terraces.

honohono
A creeping grass or weed.

hui
Club, association, society, corporation, company, institution, organization and, in Pukui's Hawaiian Dictionary, nine other types of groups, formal and informal.

huki
To pull or tug, as on a rope; to give support, as to a political party.

~I~

imu
Underground oven.

~K~

kahuna
Priest, sorcerer, magician, wizard, minister, expert in any profession.

kalua
Baked shredded meat.

kama'aina
Specifically, native-born or host. But in usage, has come to mean anyone who has lived in Hawai'i a long time.

Kamapua'a
A demigod who could take the shape of a man or a pig.

kanaka maoli
According to Pukui, a full-blooded Hawaiian. But in today's common usage, any person of native Hawaiian ancestry.

kapa
Unwoven cloth made from tree bark.

kapu
Taboo, prohibition, forbidden. Also used in pidgin as a verb to lay claim, as in "I kapu da big piece."

keiki
Child.

kiawe
Algaroba tree. From Peru and first planted in Hawai'i in 1928, it has become very common and useful. The wood from the tree is valued for cooking fires.

ki'puka
A clear place or oasis within a lava bed where there may be vegetation.

koa
A valuable endemic Hawaiian lumber tree used for canoes, surfboards and calabashes. Now more often used for furniture and ukulules. Also used to describe a person as brave, bold, fearless, warrior-like.

kokua
Help, aid or assistance.

koloa
A duck native to Hawai'i.

kolohe
Rascal (most common usage), mischievous, naughty, unethical or unprincipled, illegal, fraudulent, destructive.

komo mai
Come in; welcome.

ku'kulu kumuhana
To pool thoughts and prayers to solve common problems.

kumu
Teacher, tutor, manual, primer, model, pattern.

kupulau
Spring season.

kupuna
Grandparent, ancestor, an older relative or close friend.

~L~

lokomaika'i
Good will, good disposition, generosity, grace; kind, humane, gracious, benevolent, beneficent, obliging.

lanai
Balcony or deck on a hotel. Most resorts have them.

~M~

makai
Toward the ocean. Used in giving directions.

manini
When used as an adjective, usually means "small" or "stingy." The most common noun usage refers to a reef surgeonfish.

mana
Supernatural or divine power; spiritual.

mauka
Toward the mountains. Used in giving directions.

Menehune
Legendary race of small people who worked at night, building fish ponds, roads, temples. While industrious, they were also of mischievous nature, and hold a similar place in Hawaiian mythology as leprechauns do in Irish.

moi
Threadfish, which was much esteemed for food. Also a native variety of taro, and a variety of sweet potato.

~N~

Na'Pua No'eau
The skillful, talented or artistic children of Hawai'i.

naupaka kahakai
From Pukui: A spreading, succulent shrub found on coasts of tropical Asia and some islands of the Pacific. Flowers are white and may be streaked with purple. The berries are white and about 1.3 cm long, looking like hailstones.

ne'ne
A goose native to Hawai'i, is the state bird.

ni'ele
To be inquisitive, questioning or nosy, often used to describe a "busybody".

no ka 'oi
A phrase used after a noun -- usually a place name -- meaning "is the best."

~O~

'ohana
Family; blood-related or extended.

'ohia
A hard wood tree of varying heights and forms that grows abundantly in wet areas. The tree is also called 'ohia lehua or lehua. Lehua is also the flower of the tree.

ono (noun)
The large mackerel-type fish known as wahoo in Florida.

'ono (adjective)
Delicious, tasty.

'o'opu
A saltwater or freshwater fish; a goby.

'opala
trash, rubbish, garbage.

'opihi
limpet.

~P~

pa'hoehoe
Smooth, unbroken type of lava.

pakalo'lo'
Marijuana.

paniolo
Cowboy.

pau hana
Work is done.

Pele
Volcano goddess.

pilikia
Trouble.

pipi kaula
Beef jerky.

pipipi
General name for small mollusks.

po'huehue

From Pukui: A strong vine found on sandy beaches in the tropics, the smooth, broad leaves notched at the tip; the flowers pink, bell-shaped; a white-flowered form is rare in Hawai'i; the fruits small, dry, round, four-seeded. Hawaiians still use the vines to drive fish into nets. Roots, stems, and seeds were used for medicine, though poisonous in large amounts.

poke
In traditional Hawaiian usage, a verb meaning to cut crosswise into pieces, as fish or wood. But through usage, has become a noun meaning any of many varieties of raw fish or other seafood salads.

pono
Correct or proper procedure; goodness, well-being.

puka
Hole. Necklaces made of shells with holes, called puka shells, were popular in the 1970s.

pu'lehu
To broil.

pune'e
A movable couch.

pu'pu'
Appetizer.

pu'u
Any kind of protuberance from a pimple to a hill.

~U~

'ulu
Breadfruit. A tree belonging to the fig family, which is grown for its edible fruits and sometimes for ornament. Also, a round, smooth stone used in Hawaiian games as a bowling ball, bell clapper, die, etc.

ulua
Certain species of crevalle, jack or pompano; an important game fish and food item.

~W~

wahine
Woman.

wana
Sea urchin.

~Idioms~

chicken skin
Local version of "goose bumps." Sometimes used as an adjective.

kamaboko
Japanese fishcake used in many local dishes.

kaukau
Food; eat.

loco moco
Favorite local dish consisting of a hamburger patty on a bed of rice topped with a sunny-side egg and drenched with brown gravy.

manapua
A local idiom for Chinese pork cake.

musubi
Japanese rice ball.

pake
(pah-KAY) Slang for Chinese. Derogatory, depending on context.

po'tagee
(poe-tah-gee [accented syllable varies]) Slang for Portuguese. Derogatory, depending on context.

shaka
(SHA-kah) Friendly hand gesture with middle fingers curled under, and thumb and pinky extended out. Used to express thanks, aloha.

shoyu
Japanese for soy sauce.

road to ha'na
A very curvy, often one-lane coast road in East Maui.

talking stink
The act of saying negative things about another person, usually behind their back.

uku million, uku pile
Very many.

ume
Pickled plum sometimes found in the middle of musubi.

Source: IslandScene.com