Pleasing the Dead (26 page)

Glossary of Hawaiian Words

A bit of history: Until the arrival of the missionaries around 1820, the Hawaiian language was completely oral. The Christian visitors began to record the language and teach the Hawaiian natives to read and write.

There are 12 Roman letters in the Hawaiian alphabet, plus two diacritical marks, the kahakō, which is a line over a vowel, and the ‘okina, which looks like a backwards apostrophe and signals a glottal stop. Because a word with an ‘okina can have an entirely different meaning than the same spelling without it, the ‘okina is considered a letter.

If you spend some time in the islands, you'll quickly pick up these terms. I've tried to use them so you can deduce the meaning from the context, but if you have any doubts or want further explanation, here are translations of commonly used words. Pidgin isn't Hawaiian; it's a combination of languages. When you're
pau
, you'll be ready for your next visit to the islands.
A hui hou aku
!

A hui hou aku
—goodbye, or until we meet again

‘aumakua
—a family totem, deified ancestors who assume the shape of plants or animals and helped the living

Auwē
—Expression of alarm. Alas, a wail to bemoan something.

hala
—the Pandanus tree, whose leaves are woven into mats, satchels, hats, and other useful items

kahuna lā‘au lapa‘au
—experts who heal with medicines made from native plants

kekeface
—local pidgin slang for someone with bad acne, literally zit face

kukae
—pidgin for excrement, or shit

kolohe
—mischievous, naughty, full of fun

manō
—general term for a shark

manō hae
—fierce shark or fighter

mauka
—toward the mountains

omiyage
—traditionally Japanese souvenirs, but now used to mean gifts that people take when they're visiting friends or business colleagues

onaga
—ruby or red snapper, a delicious fish, also
ula‘ula

opihi
—limpet, a shellfish that clings to surf-tossed rocks. Also known as death-fish, because many lives have been lost in harvesting it

pau
—finished, over, done with

pua‘a
—pig

puka
—hole, opening, door

tita
—local term for a tough woman

wahine
—a woman, also wife

wiliwili
—a Hawaiian leguminous tree, with short thick trunk, found on dry plains and lava flows

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