Synopsis: After many years of trial and error in the efforts to create a flying car, it looks as though it might not take much longer. There are a lot of questions as to how it will look and be controlled. As with any other new technology, there will be further testing and development.

Aloha mai nō kākou e nā hoa holoholo ka‘a. He po‘e ma‘a kākou i ke kalaiwa ka‘a a ua ma‘a ho‘i i ka noho ma luna o kahi mokupuni ho‘okahi i ka wā e kalaiwa ai, a no laila, ua kaupalena ‘ia ka loloa o ko kākou holoholo ka‘a ‘ana. Hala nā hola helu wale nō a ka‘apuni ‘ia ka mokupuni. ‘A‘ole hiki ke holo mai ka ‘āina aku a lana ma luna o ka ‘ili kai, a lu‘u paha ma lalo o ia ‘ili. Aia wale nō ka hō‘ea aku o ke ka‘a i kekahi mokupuni a halihali ‘ia ma luna o kekahi moku. Eia na‘e ka mea hou o ka ‘āina, a o ka lewa ho‘i. E hiki mai ana ka wā e lele ai ke ka‘a a pau ho‘i ko kākou kauka‘i ‘ana ma luna o ka mokulele a i ‘ole ka helekopa e lele ai i luna o ka lewa. ‘O ia ho‘i, e kalaiwa pololei aku nō i ke kai, a ma kahi o ka lu‘u ‘ana i lalo, e lele a‘e nō i luna. He kohu manu ka hoa like e kauaheahe ana ma luna o nā ‘ēheu o ka makani.

‘A‘ole he mana‘o hou ia mea he ka‘alele. Ua hāpai ‘ia nō ma mua o ko‘u hānau ‘ana. I ko‘u wā e kamali‘i ana, he mea mau iā mākou kamali‘i ka nānā pinepine ‘ana i nā kātuna. ‘O kekahi mea punahele loa iā mākou, ‘o ia nō ka “Jetsons”. Mau nō ka pa‘a ‘ana o kona mele ia‘u. E ho‘omaka ana kēlā me kēia kātuna ma ka hō‘ike mai i ka ‘ohana Jetson e halihali ‘ia ana ma luna o ko lākou ka‘alele. ‘O ka makuakāne, ‘o George, ke kalaiwa ana, a e lawe ana ‘o ia iā lākou i ko lākou mau wahi e hele ai. A pau lākou lā i ke kīloi ‘ia, lele ‘o George i kona wahi hana. Ma ia hō‘ike, aia nō nā kānaka ‘ē a‘e e holo ana ma luna o ko lākou mau ka‘alele. He mea ma‘a mau nō ia. ‘Eā e ka makamaka, he mau makahiki aku nei kēlā. He kanaono paha, a eia kā, ‘a‘ole i kō ka mana‘o no ke ka‘alele.

He mau nīnau nō e nalu ai. He aha ke ‘ano o ka ikehu e pono ai? E lilo ana anei ia ikehu i mea e haumia ai ke ao kūlohelohe, ‘o ia ho‘i, ka lewa, ka ‘āina, ke kai? Na wai e ho‘olauka‘i i nā ka‘alele? He māka‘i lele paha ko ka lewa? Aia ana paha kekahi mau lula lewa e alaka‘i ai i ka lele ‘ana o ia mau ka‘alele? Pehea ana ka pipi‘i o ia mea he ka‘alele? E makepono ana ke kumu kū‘ai e hiki ai i nā ‘ohana a pau ke kū‘ai, a i ‘ole, na ke kanaka waiwai wale nō ke lele i loko o ke aupuni o ka lani? Inā he ulia ke kupu mai, na wai e kōkua? E hiki ana i nā ka‘a pōulia ke lele? Eia hou ho‘i, e lele ana nā ka‘alele ma luna o ka ‘āina kekahi, ma luna ho‘i o nā alanui? He nui hou aku paha nā nīnau e kupu mai ana. No ka manawa na‘e, ua mau nō ke kūlana he moemoeā.

‘Eā, e ka makamaka heluhelu, eia nō au ke kapa nei i kēia mana‘o o kākou no ke ka‘alele he moemoeā. ‘A‘ole maopopo ke kumu i kapa ‘ia ai kēlā mea a kākou e kalaiwa nei i kēia manawa he “ka‘a”. He mau mana‘o pili ko ua hua ‘ōlelo nei, akā, ua ‘ano pili ka puana ‘ana me ka hua ‘ōlelo haole, ‘o “car”. Inā e pau ana ia mea he ka‘a huila, e pau pū ka pilina o ia hua ‘o ka‘a i ke ‘ano o kona holo ‘ana. E lilo paha ka hua ‘ōlelo “ka‘a” i hua ho‘omana‘o no ka wā i hala. ‘O “mokulele” paha ka hoa like. ‘A‘ole ia he moku. ‘A‘ole paha e hihi, i nānā aku ka hana i ka hua ‘ōlelo “ka‘alele” i loko o ka puke wehewehe a Pukui mā, ‘o kekahi mana‘o ona, ‘o ia nō ‘o “to fly or soar, as birds.”

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.