*Source: Things Hawaiian - A Pocket Guide to the Hawaiian Language, Albert J. Schutz, pp. 3--31, Island Heritage Publishing
**Source: Hawaiian Dictionary - Mary Kawena Pukui, Samuel H. Elbert, University of Hawaii Press
Notes about the Hawaiian language:
It is our intention with this page to inspire you to explore further the very beautiful Hawaiian language - to enjoy it, to utilize the study of it to bridge the gap between other cultures and your own.
In an effort to reach more of you who may or may not have Hawaiian font readers installed, we have scripted this page using a basic Arial font. Therefore, you will not see two very important Hawaiian "letters."
The kahako looks like the macron used in the English language to indicate the use of the long vowel sound. However, in the English language one would not normally see this macron in text. It is used solely in a descriptive, dictionary sense to aid one to correctly pronounce the word in which it is used.
On the other hand, the Hawaiian kakaho is very much visible and necessary, as it means for you to hold on to the pronunciation of that particular vowel, which then further clarifies the meaning of that word. With the kahako the same word owuld have a totally different meaning.
In the same sense, the 'okina which is depicted as an up-side-down, and back-side-to apostrophe, adds a slightly glutteral stop to the beginning of the vowel in front of which the 'okina is placed, (without which, again, the word would take on a very different meaning).
Please do not let the absence of these two most important Hawaiian letters on this page deter you from your quest to read and enjoy these language examples.
Simply email us from the link at the bottom of the page and ask which words are missing these elements. We'll most happy to kokua!
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L. "Mapuana" Beauregard-Axelson & D. "Kuane" Axelson
Copyright © Jan. 1, 2001 mapukua
