Synopsis: The true names of places where we live provide an important connection to our history and the worldview that goes along with it.
Aloha mai kākou e nā makamaka e ‘imi nei i ka ‘ike o ko kākou mau kūpuna. Maika‘i ko kākou ho‘oikaika i ka ‘imi ‘ana i nā inoa o nā ‘āina a kākou e noho nei. Ua kākau ‘ia a‘ela ‘o “kākou,” no ka mea, ‘o au pū kekahi e helu ‘ia ma loko o ia ‘āuna. Ia‘u e ho‘omākaukau nei i kahi ha‘awina no nā inoa ‘āina o O‘ahu nei, a me ko lākou loli ‘ana me ke au o ka manawa, he wahi noi‘i ka mea i pono ai. A ‘oiai au e pa‘u ana i ka noi‘i, he mau ‘ike hou kai ‘ō‘ili wale mai no ia mau wahi pana. Pū‘iwa ihola au. ‘O ka‘u o ka ‘imi ‘ana, ‘o ia nā inoa kahiko o kahi pae lua pele o O‘ahu nei. Eia nō ko lākou kapa ‘ia ‘ana i kēia mau lā: Punchbowl, Diamond Head, Ka‘au Crater, Hanauma Bay, a me Koko Head. ‘O ke kaulana o ia mau inoa, poina ihola nā inoa Hawai‘i a me nā mo‘olelo i pana ‘ia ai.
Maopopo iā kākou ka inoa Hawai‘i o Punchbowl, ‘o Pūowaina ho‘i. Minamina kona kapa ‘ia iā Punchbowl, no ka mea, e kuhihewa ana paha ka po‘e e ho‘opa‘a nei i ka ‘ōlelo Hawai‘i ē he ipu ia no ka wai ‘ona o ka hua waina. I ka noi‘i ‘ana na‘e, ua ‘ike ‘ia kekahi mana‘o a‘u i ‘ike ‘ole ai ma mua, ‘o ia ho‘i, he pu‘u ia no ka waiho ‘ana i nā kino kupapa‘u o nā kānaka i mōhai ‘ia. Ua ‘ano hoihoi ho‘i kona lilo ‘ana i pā kupapa‘u no ka pū‘ali koa ‘Āmelika. Hilahila nō ke a‘o ‘ana i ka ‘ōlelo Hawai‘i me ka ‘ike ‘ole i ka mana‘o o ia inoa. He pu‘u ia a‘u e kā‘alo‘alo pinepine ai ke kalaiwa au i ke alaloa.
‘O ka lua o ka lua pele e nānā ai, ‘o ia ka mea e kapa ‘ia nei ‘o Diamond Head. Ua kaulana a puni ka honua a he nui hewahewa nā malihini ma Hawai‘i nei e ake nei e ‘ike iā ia i ke kau mai i luna. Ua hele a kaulana ia inoa i ka ho‘ohawai‘i ‘ia, ‘o ia ho‘i ‘o Kaimana Hila (Diamond Hill). Nui kona lohe ‘ia i loko o nā mele — “I waho mākou i ka pō nei, a ‘ike i ka nani o Kaimana Hila, Kaimana Hila, kau mai i luna.” Ua laha na‘e kona inoa Hawai‘i, ‘o Lē‘ahi, no ka mea, he mau mea nō i kapa ‘ia ma ia inoa. Nui na‘e ka po‘e i ‘ike ‘ole i kona mana‘o, ‘o ia nō ka lae o ke ‘ahi. He kohu ‘ahi ke nānā aku. He kohu kualā a lae ho‘i o ke ‘ahi. I ka hō‘ea mai o ka haole, no ka hūlalilali mai o nā pōhaku ‘ōpuna a‘ia‘i, ua mana‘o ‘ia he kohu kaimana. ‘Oko‘a ka mea waiwai o kekahi lāhui a ‘oko‘a ko kekahi.
I ka wā kahiko, ua kapa ‘ia ‘o Ka‘au Crater ma muli o kekahi moa kāne kaulana i ka hakakā i kapa ‘ia ‘o Ka‘auhelemoa. He mo‘olelo hoihoi kona, ‘a‘ole na‘e kākou e hihi i kēia manawa. ‘O Hanauma Bay kekahi lua pele kaulana, a he nui ka po‘e malihini e iho aku i laila e nānā ai i nā i‘a. ‘O kona mana‘o Hawai‘i, he hono ia i hapa poepoe ke ‘ano. He mau lua pele nō lāua a ‘elua. ‘O kekahi mana‘o hoihoi o Hanauma Bay, ‘oiai ‘o “bay” ka mana‘o o “hana” ma ka namu haole, ua like ia me ka ‘ōlelo “curved bay bay.” He ho‘onui wale i ka ‘ōlelo!
‘O ka lua hope, ‘o ia nō ‘o Koko Head. Ua ahuwale ke ‘ano hapa haole o kēia inoa. He hua‘ōlelo Hawai‘i na‘e ‘o “koko” ma muli o ke kahe ‘ana o ke koko o kekahi ka‘aka i ‘ai ‘ia e ka manō. Ua hele a ‘ula‘ula ke kai o Moanalua i kona koko. ‘O ia kekahi mea a‘u i ‘ike ‘ole ai ma mua. I ka mo‘olelo kahiko na‘e, e alualu ana ‘o Kamapua‘a iā Kapo, a i mea e ho‘ololoiahili ai iā ia ala, a waiho aku iā Pele, ua wehe ua ‘o Kapo i kona kohe a kīloi akula i luna o ia lua pele i kapa ‘ia ma ka ‘ōlelo kanaka, ‘o Kohelepelepe – no ke ‘ano wa‘awa‘a ke nānā aku a kohu lehelehe ho‘i o ke kohe. Minamina ka wailana wale ‘ana o ia mana‘o kahiko. Ma muli paha ia o ka hilahila o ka haole ke unuhi ‘ia ka hua “kohe.”
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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.
