Synopsis: There is a relatively new slang expression in English that has been around for about 15 years now. It is “catfish” and refers to a type of cyber deception in which a false front is created by one party that is intended to ensnare another party, oftentimes through the creation of a romantic connection between the two. What should we call this in Hawaiian?
Aloha mai nō kākou. He hua ‘ōlelo hou ko ka ‘ōlelo haole, ‘o ia ho‘i ‘o “catfishing”. ‘O kona mana‘o na‘e, ‘a‘ole nō i pili loa i ka i‘a i kaulana ma ka inoa ‘o “catfish”. ‘O ka mana‘o o kēia ‘ano catfishing hou, ‘a‘ohe wahi pili i ka lawai‘a ‘ana i ia ‘ano i‘a he catfish. He ‘ano ‘imi hana na‘e, ma o ka pūnaewele, kahi e kama‘ilio ai ‘elua kānaka me ka pūlapu aku o kekahi i kona hoa kama‘ilio. He ho‘omeamea ka hana. He ho‘opunipuni ho‘i. ‘Oiai, ma o ka pūnaewele kahi e hui ai ua mau kānaka lā, he papakaumaka a he papakaumaka, a ‘a‘ole ho‘i he alo a he alo, e pe‘e nō kekahi o lāua ma hope o kāna papakaumaka a nalo kona helehelena a me kona inoa maoli. Pēlā nō e mai ai ia hana kohu ‘ole me ka palekana. ‘O ke ‘ano hāwāwā na‘e o kekahi po‘e (e la‘a me kā ‘oukou wahi mea kākau nei) i nā hana pūnaewele o kēia au, puni wale aku nō kākou i kā ia ala mau ‘ōlelo hō‘epa.
No ia hua ‘ōlelo haole ‘o catfishing, ua ‘ō‘ili wale mai he mau makahiki aku nei ma kekahi kaka‘ina hō‘ike‘ike kīwī i kapa ‘ia ‘o “Catfish”, kahi i hō‘ike ‘ia mai ai ke ‘ano o ia hana. A ma ia hope mai, ua lohe pepeiao ‘ia nō e ka lehulehu ma o ka nūhou e pili ana i kekahi ‘ālapa o Hawai‘i nei, he hiapa‘i‘ole ho‘i no ka ‘oihana pōpeku NFL. ‘O ia nō kekahi mahikua i puka ma nā kula ‘o Punahou a me Notre Dame, a e pā‘ani ana no ka San Diego Chargers i kona wā i catfish ‘ia ai. Aloha nō kahi keiki o Hawai‘i i kona pūlapu ‘ia e kekahi catfisher. A ‘oiai he kanaka hanohano ‘o ia, ‘a‘ole nō i nele ka ‘aki ‘ia o ka palu a me ka holoholo laulaha aku o ia mo‘olelo mai ‘ō a ‘ō o ka honua nei. Aloha nō ho‘i kahi keiki i kipa hewa aku kona aloha i ka wahahe‘e! Mai ia manawa mai, he nui hou aku paha ka po‘e i pūlapu ‘ia e nā catfisher.
I kēia mau lā o ka launa ‘ana o kākou ma o nā mīkini, he ma‘alahi ka pe‘e ‘ana o ka po‘e pūlapu ma hope o ka papakaumaka. Ke hala aku nei nā lā i ma‘a ai kākou i ka launa ‘ana he alo a he alo. Aloha nō ia mau lā! I kēia wā, aia ka pono ‘o ka ho‘ohuoi i nā hoa kanaka a pau o puni auane‘i kākou i ka wahahe‘e a ke kolohe. A no laila, he mea maika‘i ka ho‘olaha ‘ana i nā ‘ōlelo a‘oa‘o Hawai‘i no kēia pilikia hou. ‘O ka mea ‘āpiki na‘e, he aha ka hua ‘ōlelo Hawai‘i no kēia ‘ano hana ‘o ke “catfishing”? Ua kapa ‘ia a‘ela ma o kona inoa haole. E mana‘o ana paha kekahi po‘e, aia kona pono i ka waiho ‘ia ma ka namu haole. ‘O kekahi na‘e, e mana‘o ana i ka unuhi. Wahi a Pukui mā, ‘o “‘o‘opu pākē” ka hua no ke catfish. Inā pēlā ana ke koho, ‘a‘ole paha e hau‘oli ka po‘e Pākē! A ‘o au kekahi i helu ma loko o ia ‘āuna.
‘Auhea ‘oukou, e nā hoa heluhelu. Aia nō paha kekahi hua ‘ōlelo Hawai‘i i kūpono no ke kuhi ‘ana aku i ia hana? He mea maika‘i ka wehewehe ‘ana i nā mea a pau ma o ka ‘ōlelo Hawai‘i, a pēlā e ola ai kā kākou ‘ōlelo. No laila, e no‘ono‘o kākou i kahi hua i kū nō i ke ‘ano Hawai‘i, ka mana‘o Hawai‘i, ka puana Hawai‘i, ke kaona Hawai‘i, ka mana Hawai‘i, a me ia mea aku ia mea aku. ‘O ka mea nui, ‘o ia nō ke kū ‘ana o ka ‘ōlelo Hawai‘i nona iho, a ‘a‘ole e ko‘oko‘o ‘ia e ka haole. Pehea ko ‘oukou mana‘o no ka hua Hawai‘i ‘o “ho‘opunihei”?
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.
