Synopsis: Even when our intent is to honor traditional place names, and the stories that go along with them, that intent can be undermined by confusion. As we learn our language, let us also learn the stories behind our place names.
Aloha mai kākou e nā makamaka heluhelu. He wahi ‘ōlelo ho‘oponopono ka‘u no kekahi hemahema i komo mai i loko o ka pukana o kēlā pule aku nei. ‘O ia ihola nō ke kumu e mālama ‘ia nei ia po‘o mana‘o like nō i kēia pule, koe na‘e ka pāku‘i ‘ia mai o ka helu “2” ma hope ona. Ma ka wehewehe ‘ana i ke kumu i kapa ‘ia ai ‘o Kohelepelepe iā Koko Head, ‘o ia ho‘i, ma muli ia o ke kahe ‘ana o ke koko o kekahi kanaka i ‘ai ‘ia e ka manō ma ke kai kū‘ono ‘o Maunalua, ua kākau au iā Moanalua. Auē! Ma ke kākau ‘ana no ka hemahema o ko kākou kapa ‘ana i nā inoa o nā wahi pana o Hawai‘i nei, ua halahū kahi mana‘o a kapa hemahema akula au i ia wahi ma ka inoa o kekahi wahi. E huikala mai i ka hō‘ike ahuwale ‘ia o ia mea hilahila i mua o ke ākea!
Ma ka ‘ao‘ao na‘e o ka pōmaika‘i, i kauwahi ‘īniha kēia i loa‘a ‘ole ma loko o ka ‘atikala o kēlā pule aku nei, a i wahi ho‘i ia e ho‘ākāka piha ai i kekahi mau mana‘o i komo ‘ole aku ma laila. ‘O ka inoa ‘o Pūowaina ho‘i kekahi. ‘O ia “wai” i loko o ka hua‘ōlelo “waina,” ‘o ia nō ka mana‘o o “wai” i loko o nā hua‘ōlelo “waihona” a me “hale wai.” ‘O ia ho‘i kahi e waiho ‘ia ai kekahi mea. ‘O ka “pū” ho‘i, he ‘ano pu‘u ia. Ma ka ‘ōlelo Māori, ke ahu ‘ia a‘e kekahi mau mea, he pū ia. No laila, he pu‘u ‘o Pūowaina, kahi i waiho ‘ia ai nā kino kupapa‘u o nā mōhai i ke au kahiko. Ma hope o ke kaua puni honua ‘elua (World War II), i ka MH 1949 ho‘i, ua lilo ua lua pele nei i pā kupapa‘u no nā koa ‘Amelika. Aia i laila ko‘u mau lūau‘i mākua, kahi e moe nei.
‘O kekahi o nā lua pele ‘elima o Honolulu i hō‘ike ‘ia i kēlā pule aku nei, ‘o ia nō ‘o Ka‘au Crater. Ua kapa ‘ia ka inoa o ia lua pele ma muli o kekahi moa kāna kupua, he hapa moa hapa kanaka, i kaulana i ka hakakā, ‘o ia ho‘i ‘o Ka‘auhelemoa. ‘A‘ole na‘e i lawa nā ‘īniha kolamu e hō‘ike piha ai i ko ia ala mo‘olelo, a no laila, eia mai nō kekahi mau mea a‘u i heluhelu ai. Ma kona mau hakakā ‘ana ma uka o Pālolo, ua lilo ke eo iā ia, a no laila, ua iho akula i kai e hakakā ai me kekahi moa o laila. Ua pepehi ‘ia na‘e ‘o ia nei. Aia nō kekahi mau mo‘olelo nona, ‘a‘ole na‘e e hihi. Wahi a Pukui, Elbert, a me Mookini (Place Names of Hawaii), ua kapa ‘ia ka inoa o ia lua pele ‘o Ka‘au ma muli o kona mana‘o heluna, ‘o ia ho‘i he kanahā. Aia i laila kahi mea hilu loa. He aha lā ho‘i ka pilina o ia heluna i ka mo‘olelo o Ka‘auhelemoa?
Eia hou mai kekahi māhele o ia mo‘olelo. Iā Ka‘auhelemoa ma Waikīkī, ua helu ‘o ia i ka lepo i ka ‘imi aku i nā ilo, a no ia mea i kapa ‘ia ai kēlā wahi ‘o Helumoa. He inoa ho‘i ia no kekahi alanui ma kahi o ka Royal Hawaiian Hotel. Eia hou, he inoa ia no kekahi heiau, kahi ho‘i i mōhai ‘ia ai ‘o Kahahana, ke ali‘i o O‘ahu ma mua o ka lilo ‘ana o O‘ahu iā Kahekili. E nā makamaka, he nui nā mo‘olelo kahiko e hō‘ike ‘ia ma o nā inoa ‘āina. Inā ‘a‘ole e pa‘a ka mo‘olelo, e lilo paha ia i mea e huikau ai nā inoa. Ke a‘o kākou i kā kākou ‘ōlelo makuahine, ‘a‘ole wale nō e lawa ka ho‘omaopopo ‘ana i nā hua‘ōlelo a me ka pilina‘ōlelo. He mea nui ka ho‘opa‘a ‘ana i nā mo‘olelo a lākou e wehewehe ai. Ua huikau au i nā inoa ‘o Maunalua a me Moanalua. Ke lana nei ka mana‘o, ‘a‘ole e huikau ana ‘o Ka‘auhelemoa lāua me Helumoa.
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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.
