X-Nico

6 unusual facts about Hawaiian language


Harvey Rexford Hitchcock

Harvey Rexford Hitchcock, Jr. (generally known as H. Rexford Hitchcock) was born in 1835 and published a dictionary of the Hawaiian language while principal of Lahainaluna School, in an effort to teach Hawaiians the English language.

Hawaiian language

However, Hawaiian was not taught initially in any school, including the all-Hawaiian Kamehameha Schools, and many children who spoke Hawaiian at school, including on the playground, were disciplined.

Leilani Gaja

Her father is half-Chinese, half-Japanese and her mother is half-Hawaiian, half-Japanese, lending to her legal name Leilani (Hawaiian for 'heavenly lei'), and making her half-Japanese.

Rabbit Kekai

The Rabbit Kekai Keiki Surf Contest is held every year at Waikiki Beach to promote surfing for Hawaii's children (keiki means "child" or "little kid" in the Hawaiian language).

Samuel M. Spencer

He was postmaster in the area, which is why some sources say the post office for Waimea, Hawaii County, Hawaii is called "Kamuela", the equivalent of Samuel in the Hawaiian language.

Tuamotuan language

Pa‘umotu is closely related to the languages of eastern Polynesian including Hawaiian, Māori, Cook Islands Māori and Rapa Nui, the language of Easter Island.


Alocasia macrorrhizos

Common names include Giant Taro and Elephant Ear Taro, while words for the plant in the various Polynesian languages include Kape (Niuean, Tongan), Ape (Cook Islands Māori, Tahitian, Hawaiian), "ta'amu" in Samoan language, and Pulaka (Tuvalu).

Blood banana

It is known as the Mai'a 'Oa in Hawaiian, though the name is also applied to the species Musa balbisiana which was introduced later on.

Hawaiian Renaissance

This period in Hawaiian history is also associated with a renewed interest in Hawaiian language, Pidgin, Hula, Traditional Hawaiian Crafts, Hawaiian Studies, and other cultural items.

Kona storm

Kona is a Hawaiian language term (related to similar words in other Polynesian languages) for the western (to southwestern) side of an island.

Modal verb

Hawaiian, like the Polynesian languages generally, is an isolating language, so its verbal grammar exclusively relies on unconjugated verbs.

Pahala, Hawaii

In Hawaiian, Pāhala refers to the ashes of leaves from the hala tree (Pandanus tectorius).


see also

Pūnana Leo

A renaissance of Hawaiian culture and politics in the 1970s brought a new focus to the topic of the revitalization of the Hawaiian language.