Synopsis: Some newly created Hawaiian terms seem to have been invented simply to establish one-to-one correspondences with English words. Treating these perceived lexical gaps as problems that must be solved by creating new words ignores the essential question: How do native speakers describe these concepts? Perhaps we should follow the example of native speech before trying to force change upon the language.
Aloha mai kākou e ka makamaka heluhelu. Eia nō ko ‘oukou wahi mea kākau, ua uluhua ika wai a ka Nāulu. ‘A‘ohe o‘u lihi hoihoi i ka ‘ōhumuhumu ‘ana i mua o ka nui manu o kēia nūpepa, eia na‘e, ‘o ka mea i ukiuki ai kō mea kākau, he hopena paha ia no kākou a pau, ka po‘e e ho‘oheno nei i ka ‘ōlelo ‘ōiwi o ko kākou pae ‘āina. Me he mea lā, he makemake ko kekahi mau kānaka e ho‘ololi wale aku i ka ‘ōlelo kanaka a like a like me ko ka ‘ōlelo Pelekania.
I kēlā pule aku nei i ‘ike ai wau i kahi mea i lilo i pulakaumaka no ka no‘ono‘o. ‘O ia ho‘i, ‘oiai au e nānā ana ma luna o ke kelepona a ko‘u hoa, iā ia ho‘i e a‘o ana i ka ‘ōlelo Hawai‘i ma o ia mea ‘o ka Duolingo, nīele ihola ko‘u man‘o, no ka mea, ua hele a kaulana kēlā polokalamu a‘o ‘ōlelo i kēia mau lā, “Pehea kā lākou mālama ‘ana i ka ‘ōlelo o ka ‘āina?”
‘Ike ‘ia akula kahi hua‘ōlelo ‘ano ‘ē e waiho ana ma luna o kāna kelepona, ‘o ia ‘o “hikaluhi”. Mai nō a ho‘opaumanawa ‘oukou, e nā kini o ka ‘āina, i ka huli ‘ana i kēia hua‘ōlelo ma luna o kekahi puke wehewehe ‘ōlelo. ‘A‘ole nō e loa‘a. Unuhi ‘ia na‘e kēia hua‘ōlelo ma luna o ka Duolingo, ‘o ia ‘o “self-care”. I ‘ike ‘oukou i ka mana‘o o ka mea kākau, ‘a‘ole au kū‘ē wale aku i ka haku ‘ana i mau hua‘ōlelo hou. Ua kūpono nō kekahi mau hua‘ōlelo i haku ‘ia i nā makahiki i hala aku nei. He keu ho‘i nā hua i pili i kekahi mahele ‘ike hou e la‘a ke akeakamai, nā ‘ano mīkini hou, a pēlā aku. ‘O ka‘u e nīnau nei, ua pono anei ka haku ‘ana i kēia hua‘ōlelo no ka mālama ‘ana o ke kanaka iā ia iho?
Ma ke ‘ano mālani loa, ‘a‘ole anei i lawa ka ‘ōlelo ‘ana, “E mālama ana au ia‘u iho?” A i ‘ole ia, “E mālama au i ko‘u pono iho.” Inā nō ‘oe e mālama i kou pono iho, ua lako ka ‘ōlelo Hawai‘i ma kēia mahele. I nānā aku ka hana i ka po‘e kūpuna, eia kekahi ‘ōlelo, “E ‘ai ana wau i kalo mo‘a.” Wahi a kahiko, ke pau ka hana a makemake ke kanaka e luana, “‘Ai nō i kalo mo‘a.” ‘O ia ihola ka hikaluhi ‘ana. ‘A‘ole anei i pili ka luana ‘ana i ia mea ‘o ka self-care? Nui a lehulehu nā lālani mele kahiko no ka nanea, ka walea, a me ka luana o ka mana‘o, no laila, ua pono anei ka haku wale ‘ana i hua‘ōlelo hou?
Ke kuhi aku nei kā ‘oukou mea kākau, ‘o ke kumu i haku ‘ia ai kēia hua‘ōlelo, ‘a‘ole ia ‘o ka nele i ka loa‘a ‘ole he hua‘ōlelo e kuhi ai i kēia kumuhana. ‘O ke kumu, ‘a‘ole i loa‘a kekahi hua‘ōlelo ho‘okahi. E mana‘o ana paha ka mea nāna i haku, inā he hua‘ōlelo ho‘okahi ko ka namu haole no kēia mana‘o, e aho ke loa‘a he hua‘ōlelo ho‘okahi ma ka ‘ōlelo Hawai‘i. Kū‘ē ko‘u mana‘o.
‘O ka mea i ulukū ai ka mana‘o, inā he hua‘ōlelo ho‘okahi ko ka haole, aia ka pono ‘o ka loa‘a ‘ana o ho‘okahi hua‘ōlelo ma ka Hawai‘i, i pa‘i a pa‘i. E aho na‘e ke kū‘oko‘a o ka ‘ōlelo Hawai‘i i mua o ka ho‘opili mea‘ai. Ō ha‘aheo kākou i nā hi‘ohi‘ona like ‘ole o ka ‘ōlelo kanaka, ‘eā. Inā he hua‘ōlelo ho‘okahi ko ka haole no ka ‘umi ‘ana o ke kanaka iā ia iho, e haku ho‘i hā paha kākou i ia hua‘ōlelo no kākou? ‘A‘ole paha. Ua lawa au i ka ho‘omaopopo ‘ana, ‘oko‘a ke kūkulu ‘ana i kauwahi mana‘o ma kā kākou ‘ōlelo, ‘oko‘a ke kūkulu ‘ana i kauwahi mana‘o ma kā lākou. No ka po‘e e a‘o mau nei i kēia ‘ōlelo ma ke ‘ano he ‘ōlelo ‘elua, e like me ka mea kākau, e ho‘omanawanui mai. E aho ka ho‘oikaika ‘ana i ka mana‘o kanaka i ola ai ka ‘ōlelo kanaka.
E ho‘ouna ‘ia mai na ā leka iā māua, ‘o ia ho‘i ‘o Laiana Wong a me Kekeha Solis ma ka pahu leka uila ma lalo nei:
>> kwong@hawaii.edu
>> rsolis@hawaii.edu
a i ‘ole ia, ma ke kelepona:
>> 808-956-2627 (Laiana)
>> 808-956-2627 (Kekeha)
This column is coordinated by Kawaihuelani Center for Hawaiian Language at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa.
