Synopsis: Should the possessive pronoun “kona” be spelled with a macron over the “o”?
Aloha mai nō kākou e nā hoa heluhelu e ho‘omanaw-anui nei i ka huikau o ka pela ‘ana i nā hua Hawai‘i. I kēlā pule aku nei, ua puka aku ko‘u mana‘o no ka pela ‘ana i ka inoa o kahi makani kaulana o ka ‘āina, ‘o ia ho‘i ka makani Kona. ‘O ka nīnau i kupu mai ma laila, ua pili nō i kona pela ‘ia me ka hua ma‘aka a i ‘ole ka hua na‘ina‘i. No‘u iho, hilina‘i nō au i ka ‘ao‘ao o ka ma‘aka. Ia‘u na‘e e noi‘i ana i ia nīnau, kupu maila kahi mea hilu loa. Ma loko o ka puke wehewehe ‘ōlelo, ‘a‘ohe wahi hō‘ike no ka pela ‘ia o “kona” me ka hua na‘ina‘i. ‘O ka hua i loa‘a maila, nona ka hua na‘ina‘i, ‘o ia nō ‘o “kōna,” me ke kahakō. He papani hupua ia nona nā mana‘o “His, her, hers, its” — wahi a Pukui mā lāua me Elbert. ‘Akahi nō au a ‘ike i ke kahakō ma ia hua ‘ōlelo. He pū‘iwa nō a lohe mai i ke a‘o! Nunenune ihola au no ko‘u mea i ‘ike ‘ole ai i ia pela ‘ana ma mua.
I kēia mau lā a kākou e ho‘ōla hou nei i ka ‘ōlelo Hawai‘i, ‘a‘ole paha nui ka po‘e e kākau nei i nā palapala Hawai‘i me ka ho‘olaha aku i mua o ke ākea, a no laila, ‘a‘ole paha e lawa nā la‘ana nona ka pela ‘ia o “kōna” me ke kahakō, i mea e kāko‘o ai ia pela ‘ana. I ko‘u ho‘omaopopo ‘ana, ‘o “kona” ka hapanui loa loa o ka‘u mau la‘ana i ‘ike ai. Ua ‘ike ‘ia kekahi mau puke kaulana loa, e la‘a ‘o Hawaiian Grammar, a i loko nō o ka paipai ‘ana iā “kōna,” ua ‘ike ‘ia kauwahi la‘ana no “kona.” Eia hou, i loko o nā puke wehewehe ‘ōlelo Hawai‘i kahiko a Pukui a me Elbert, ua hō‘ike ‘ia ma lalo o “Kona” ē he hua na‘ina‘i ke “k” inā nona ka mana‘o ‘o “His, her, hers, or its,” a ‘a‘ohe ona kahakō. I ka MH 1989, hā‘awi maila ko‘u makuahine i kekahi puke wehewehe ‘ōlelo hou (he pukana no ka MH 1986), a ‘a‘ohe kahakō o ia hua ‘ōlelo. Eia na‘e ka mea ‘āpiki, i kēia manawa, he puke wehewehe hou ka‘u (he pukana hou paha nona pū ka MH 1986) a he kahakō kā ho‘i ko ka hua ‘ōlelo ‘o “kōna.” ‘A‘ohe wahi ‘ōlelo no ia loli ‘ana. He keu kā ho‘i ka hana malū!
Ua ‘ike au i ia ‘ano hana malū ma mua; no ka hua ‘ōlelo ‘o “computer” ho‘i. I loko o ka pukana mua o ka Hawaiian Dictionary i ka makahiki 1986, ua kākau ‘ia kona unuhi ‘ana ma ka ‘ōlelo Hawai‘i penei: mīkini ho‘onohnoho ‘ikena. A ma ka ‘ao‘ao Hawai‘i na‘e, ‘a‘ole wahi ‘ō‘ili mai o ia hua. Eia na‘e, ma nā ‘ao‘ao i loko o ka ‘ōlelo o mua (preface), ua hō‘ike ‘ia ma ke ‘ano he la‘ana no nā hua ‘ōlelo hou i haku ‘ia ma loko mai o kekahi hua haole. I loko na‘e o ia pukana hou, nona pū ka makahiki 1986, ua kāpae ‘ia ‘o “mīkini ho‘onohonoho ‘ikena” ma nā ‘ao‘ao mua, a ua pani ‘ia me ka hua ‘ōlelo ‘o “lolo uila.” Ma ka ‘ao‘ao haole na‘e, ua kākau ‘ia ‘o “lolo uila” a me “kamepiula” no ka wehewehe ‘ana i ka hua haole ‘o “computer.” Na wai ho‘i ka ‘ole o ka huikau? He mau la‘ana hou aku paha, ‘a‘ole na‘e e hihi. Koe aku ka maka‘ala i ka pela ‘ia o “kona.”
Ua kuhi aku ‘o Elbert mā i ka pilina o ia hua me nā hua Polenekia kahiko, a he mea ia pilina e kāko‘o ai i ka pela ‘ia o ke kahakō. Ua hiki ke kuhi ‘ia kekahi mau ‘ōlelo ‘ē a‘e, e la‘a ‘o “Tamehameha” a me “Rihoriho,” i ‘oko‘a ka pela ‘ana ma nā palapala mua a ‘oko‘a ka pela ‘ia i kēia au. ‘A‘ole na‘e kākou e ho‘ololi i ka pela ‘ana. Eia hou, ma ka ho‘olohe ‘ana i nā kūpuna i kipa i ka polokalamu lēkiō ‘o Ka Leo Hawai‘i, nui ka puana ‘ia ‘o “kona” me ke kahakō ‘ole. ‘O ka ‘oia‘i‘o, he nui nā la‘ana no nā ‘ōlelo i pela ‘oko‘a ‘ia a puana ‘oko‘a ‘ia. ‘A‘ole paha kākou e ho‘ololi i ka pēlā ‘ia o “kēia” a loa‘a mai ai ‘o “ke‘ia” — a i ‘ole “chia.” E aho ka waiho ‘ia me ia nō e pa‘a nei i ka lehulehu.
