A reader wrote with frustration, "A friend asked me how we say ‘turtle’ in Hawaii.I said ‘TURTLE’!"This exchange touches on two hot points.Yes, English is spoken here and, no matter how exotic it looks, this is a part of the United States.But it is also true that Hawaii has many languages, some official others not so much.
It is irritating for locals to hear visitors who say "back in the United States" as though forgetting they are still in one.On a tour bus recently, a young woman responded to a question from the tour guide by using Spanish and made a remark about "back in America."Other queries may be well intentioned but equally off the mark, such as a question on Twitter about living in grass shacks.People in Hawaii are quite proud of island history but daily life here now includes all the modern "conveniences" — as well as the ability to avoid them if you wish.
It doesn’t take long, however, to realize that English is not the only language in common use on the islands.If you are in Waikiki, it appears that Japanese is a second language.Signs in small storefronts and even Ala Moana mall are in both English and Japanese as a nod to Hawaii’s popularity with visitors from Japan.That, however, is pretty focused on Honolulu.Outside "town", two other languages predominate alongside English.One is the true Hawaiian language.Once almost lost, it is now taught in schools and is being restored in daily life.Hawaiian is an official language of the State of Hawaii (since 1978), the only state to recognize a native language. Many expressions on popular souvenirs are Hawaiian, such as "aloha", "lei", and "mahalo."
The unofficial language of Hawaii is pidgin — something I at first mistook for surfer lingo.Many have borrowed its colorful terms, which may be appropriate since it developed as a means of cross-cultural communication.Workers with many different languages (Chinese, Japanese, Portuguese) on early plantations developed a way of talking to one another in a stripped-down vernacular."Pau hana" — literally "done work" — as a term for happy hour has pidgin roots.Many residents of Hawaii who live in rural areas speak pidgin with a strong accent so that it almost sounds like a different language, but rest assured, THEY understand YOU.
Probably what the friend of our frustrated commenter wanted to know is the Hawaiian word for sea turtle, which is "honu" — a popular symbol and protected native species.Just remember, Hawaiian is an official language but in Hawaii there are many ways of saying the same thing.
We’ve actually received calls asking if it would be a good idea to learn the Hawaiian language before coming to Hawaii. The answer to that is no.
English is the dominant language here, although there is such a variety of nationalities that a lot of people who live here have trouble with English.
The Hawaiian language is spoken only by about 9.000 residents. You’ll notice that most of the street and place names in the islands are Hawaiian, and you might find them unpronounceable. (One of the main roads is Kalanianaole Highway, for example, and there’s a place called Kaaawa on Oahu’s North Shore.) Hawaii’s early immigrants communicated with each other using pidgin, which still is pervasive. You’ll hear pidgin a lot while you’re here and you’ll get used to it.
Captain James Cook and his crew recorded the Hawaiian language for the first time on Kauai in 1778. They immediately noticed the great similarity to Tahitian and Maori. In order to communicate with the Hawaiians they used Tahitian words and gestures. They described the Hawaiian language as "primitive, childlike, lilting, effeminate, and simple." Reduplication (’ele’ele, wikiwiki) and all the vowels sounded to the explorers like baby talk.
Hawaiian had been an oral language only. The 19th century missionaries, however, were supposed to teach their converts to read the Bible, so they created a writing system with an alphabet that contained only twelve letters for words of Hawaiian origin. The Hawaiian language became the language of the government, remained the most commonly used language in daily life, and was used among the numerous different ethnic groups who had all arrived here to work the plantations. The alphabet was later expanded to allow for two unique characteristics in the Hawaiian word that the missionaries had missed.
First, there was the unnoticed consonant, a glottal stop. Try the sound in the American exclamation "oh-oh." The ‘okina symbol (’) now indicates this stop. Secondly, the five vowels could all function as longer sounds, now symbolized with a short line above the vowel. (You’ll see those on signs everywhere.)
The increasing influence of the United States pushed English forward as the language of choice. Then, with the overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom in 1893 and its annexation in 1898, the Hawaiian language was banned entirely from schools and government.
Imagine this: 500,000 Hawaiians spoke the language when Captain Cook arrived. Today, there are only 1,000 native speakers left, most of whom live on isolated Ni’ihau. Another 8,000 people can speak and understand Hawaiian, and use it among themselves.
So, even if you were to learn the Hawaiian language, you’d have trouble finding somebody to speak it with.
When you visit Hawaii, regardless of the island you’re on, you’re going to hear some pidgin. It might throw you off at first, but you’ll get used to it very quickly.
Rule One: Even after you get comfortable with some of the idioms, DON’T TRY TO SPEAK PIDGIN TO LOCAL PEOPLE. If you do, you’ll sound really silly and identify yourself as an ignorant tourist.
The following might help you with some of the more basic pidgin terms that are used all the time by all of us who live in Hawaii, even if we’ve lived here for a relatively short period of time:
• Akamai
Intelligent, smart, knowing what’s going on.
• Babooze
Screwup, someone who does something really dumb.
• Brah or Bruddah
As you would guess, it’s the local way of saying "brother" or "pal." You’ll hear it most often as, "Eh, brah!"
• Broke da mout’
Delicious tasting.
• Buggah
This could be a guy, girl, or thing. Its connotation could be friendly or describe someone or something troublesome.
• Bumbye
Later on; “by and by.”
• Bummahs
"Bummer." Expresses disappointment or commiseration.
• Chicken skin
The bumps on your skin when you get the chills or an eerie feeling ("goose bumps").
• Da kine
You will hear this more than any other term. It’s a lazy way to replace words that can’t be remembered or are unknown while you are speaking. Can literally mean anything and everything.
• Fo’ Real?
Are you sure? You’re not kidding?
• Give ‘um
Go for it. Try your hardest.
• Grind
To eat, usually with gusto.
• Grinds
Good food.
• Hana Hou
One more time. Do it again. Encore.
• Hele On
Let’s go. Get moving. Move on.
• Huhu
Mad. Frustrated.
• Kay Den
Okay then, if that’s the way you want it.
• La dis; la dat
Like this or like that.
• (What,) You Like Beef?
Do you want to fight?
• Lolo
Dumb. Slow. Crazy.
• Lua
Bathroom.
• Moke
Big, tough local guy.
• Okole
Buttocks or butt.
• Pau
Finished. (You’ll be using this by the time you go home, and you may never get rid of it.)
• Shaka
This is the hand gesture with the thumb and pinky extended. It can be a greeting, a sign of acquiescence or a gesture meaning “hello.” It’s always used in good spirit.
• Tita
A very tough girl who flaunts it.
• Wassamattayou?
As you would suspect, "What’s the matter with you?" or "What’s your problem?"
No need to memorize any of them, but you will become familiar with them as they are spoken by servers, merchants, concierges, or anybody else you encounter who lives in Hawaii.
