Synopsis: Calques in Hawaiian from English detract from the goal of revitalizing Hawaiian for use in present and future contexts.

‘Auhea ‘oukou e nā hoa heluhelu o Kauakūkalahale? Pehea nō ho‘i ‘oukou i kēia wā Makahiki? Āhea lā ho‘i e ku‘u ai ka luhi? Eia nō kā ‘oukou wahi mea kākau ke pa‘u aku nei i ka nui o ka hana, ke no‘ono‘o nei ho‘i i nā ha‘awina ‘ōlelo wāhi pūniu o ko kākou ‘ōlelo makuahine. A, ma o ke ‘ano o ke kūkulu ‘ia ‘ana o ia mau mana‘o e kau a‘e nei ma luna, ahuwale mai ai ka nīnau nui o nēia ‘atikala, ‘o ia ho‘i, nā hua‘ōlelo nīnau. He mau hua ma ka ‘ōlelo Hawai‘i e ho‘opuka ‘ia no ka hāpai ‘ana i nā nīnau, ‘o ia ho‘i, ‘o “hea,” ‘o “aha,” ‘o “wai,” a ‘o “-hia.” Ua kapa ‘ia ua mau hua nei he mau “interrogatives” e Elbert mā lāua me Pukui. Ma laila ho‘i ka nīnau nui a‘u e hāpai nei i kēia wā o ka ho‘āla hou ‘ia ‘ana o ka ‘ōlelo o nā kūpuna. ‘O ia ho‘i, pehea lā ka hua‘ōlelo ‘o “pehea”? He nīnau paha a he ‘ōlelo hō‘ike wale nō paha i ka mana‘o o ka mea nāna ia i ho‘opuka (statement)?

Ua maopopo ka mo‘olelo o kā kākou ‘ōlelo. Ua ‘ane halapohe i ke kāohi ‘ia e ka namu haole, a hala aku i ke ao polohiwa a Kāne. Eia nō kākou ke ho‘oikaika nei i ka ho‘āla hou ‘ana. ‘O ka mea ‘āpiki na‘e, ua pa‘a mua ka namu i ka hapanui o kākou e komo nei i loko o ia papahana, a no laila, na ua namu nei nō e alaka‘i mai i ko kākou no‘ono‘o ‘ana, ‘oiai kākou e ho‘opuka nei i ka ‘ōlelo Hawai‘i. Pehea lā e pono ai? No‘u iho, aia ka pono ‘o ka pale aku i ka mana‘o haole, i ‘ole ho‘i e kolo wale mai kona naio i loko o kā kākou ‘ōlelo Hawai‘i e ho‘āla nei. ‘Eā, ‘a‘ole au e paipai nei i ka ho‘okae i nā mana‘o haole i komo mai i loko o ko kākou nohona. Ke paipai nei na‘e i ka hō‘alo ‘ana i nā ‘ōlelo kū loa i ka haole — inā he ‘ōlelo Hawai‘i kahiko nona ia mana‘o. A pehea lā ‘o “pehea”? No‘u iho, aia i laila kahi pilikia nui.

No ke aha e ho‘ohana ‘ia nei ‘o “pehea” ma ke ‘ano he statement? Inā nō e nānā aku kākou i kona hoa ma ka namu, ‘o ia ho‘i, ‘o “how,” hiki ke ho‘ohana ‘ia ua hoa namu nei ma nā ‘ano ‘elua, he nīnau a he “statement.” Penei ho‘i: “How does one escape the power of English?” (nīnau) a me “I know how to escape the power of English.”(statement) ‘Oiai ho‘okahi hua ‘ōlelo namu no ia mau mana‘o ‘elua, e kuhi ana ka mea ‘ōlelo Hawai‘i ua like ‘o “pehea” me “how,” a e ho‘ohana ‘ia ‘o ia no nā mana‘o ‘elua. ‘Eā, e ka makamaka, ua halahū ia mana‘o. Penei paha e ho‘opuka ‘ia ai ma ka ‘ōlelo kanaka: “Pehea e pakele ai i ka mana o ka namu?” a me “‘Ike au i ke ala e pakele ai i ka mana o ka namu.” He nīnau kekahi a he hā‘ina kekahi.

‘Eā, e nā makamaka, he ala kīke‘eke‘e ke ala e hō‘ea aku ai i ka pono. ‘O ka ‘ike i ka hemahema, ‘o ka ‘i‘ini e ho‘ololi, ‘o ka ‘ike i kona pani kūpono, a ‘o ke kū ho‘okahi ‘ana o ia kanaka ma ke kūlana ka‘awale mai nā hoa kanaka aku, he mau koina ia e ho‘okō ai i mea e ho‘ololi ai i kahi ‘ōlelo ‘ana i pa‘a ‘ē i loko o ka na‘au. ‘O ka African Tulip ka hoa like ma muli o ka pa‘a ‘ana o kona mole i loko lilo o ka honua. Hana nui ka ‘ula‘a ‘ana a hemo! ‘O ka mea e pa‘akikī loa ai, ‘o ia ho‘i, he nui loa nā hoa e ho‘opuka ana iā “pehea” ma ke ‘ano he statement, a e maka‘ē mai ana nō lākou i ka mea ‘oko‘a o ka ‘ōlelo ‘ana. E mana‘o ana paha lākou he mea ho‘okano ka mea ‘oko‘a, e ho‘okano ana i kā lākou ‘ōlelo. Eia mai ka‘u, i ‘ike ‘oukou, ‘a‘ohe wahi mea o kākou i pau iā ia nā ‘ike a pau. ‘A‘ohe mea hemolele. He mau ‘ike hou e ‘ō‘ili mai ana. Mai nō a hulikua. E mahalo ‘ia nā mea e loa‘a mai ana, a e noke aku i ka ‘imi i nā ‘ike hou — pehea lā nō ho‘i ka nui o ka hana.