Where Did the Hawaiian Language Come From?

Royal Hawaiʻian Movers has some interesting information on the Hawaiʻian language. Our luxury tours educate curious minds on the beauty and culture of Hawaiʻi.

The answer to this question might seem simple, that the Hawaiʻian language came from the people who made the island their home. However, the story of the language we call “Hawaiʻian” today is a little more complex. Like much of modern-day Hawai’i, the language of the Hawaiʻian people was shaped strongly by foreign visitors to the island.

Before Christian missionaries arrived in the early 19^th century, the Hawaiʻian language, or ‘Olelo Hawai’i, was an entirely oral one. It belongs to the same family as the other languages found in Polynesia. In fact, when Captain James Cook visited the Hawaiʻian islands in the late 18^th century, he was able to use words from both Tahitian and Maori to communicate with the Hawaiʻians.

Because the Christian missionaries wanted to share their religion with the Hawaiʻians, one of their first tasks was translating the Bible into Hawaiʻian. For that, they needed to create a written version of the Hawaiʻian language.

Out of that project, the written Hawaiʻian language was born. After a few revisions, it now consists of 3 components:

1. 8 consonants: h, k, l, m, n, p, w and the ‘okina (officially counted as a consonant)
2. 5 vowels: a, e, i, o, u
3. The kakahō, a horizontal line that appears over a vowel to add stress and length to a vowel.
4. Because the missionaries were not linguists, the written language they created didn’t perfectly capture the native Hawaiʻians’ pronunciation. For example, look at the original pronunciation of Honolulu, which was closer to “Honoruru.” More on this shortly when we talk about the famous ha-WHY-ee vs. ha-VAI-ee debate.
5. But, first, let’s take a quick look at where the Hawaiʻian language stands today.

The Hawaiʻian Language in Modern Times

Although it has bounced back in recent years, UNESCO still lists Hawaiʻian as “critically endangered,” with fewer than 2,000 speakers.

After the annexation of the islands, the United States passed a law in 1896 requiring all schools to teach in English. Although the law didn’t strictly forbid speaking Hawaiʻian in school, Children who spoke the language in school were often punished. As a result of these oppressive practices, the number of native speakers dwindled considerably.

In recent years, interest in preserving Hawaiʻian culture and language has emerged. In 1978, Hawaiʻian was reinstated as the official language of the state. Additionally, Hawaiʻian language immersion programs have been established, starting with the Punana Leo (Nest of Voices) schools, which have received federal funding for the last 20 years.

The Hale Kuamo’o Hawaiʻian Language Center at the University of Hawai’i at Hilo has also strongly supported the continued revival of the language. In addition to contributing to ongoing scholarly research, the center offers a master’s degree in Hawaiʻian language and literature taught exclusively in Hawaiʻian.

Finally, the Hawaiʻi Board on Geographic Names is also going through the USGS maps and restoring ‘okina and kahako where appropriate. As a result, maps and signage will reflect proper historical names going forward, continuing to restore the Hawaiʻian language to prominence.

But What’s the Deal with the Ws and the Vs?

Now that you understand the ‘okina, you may still find yourself wondering whether it’s ha-WHY-ee or ha-VAI-ee—and the answer is a little complicated.

As you’ll recall, the original missionaries to Hawaiʻi were unable to accurately capture Hawaiʻian pronunciation for many of its consonants. The W is no exception.

First, let’s look at the way Americans pronounce their Vs and Ws. When you say “violet,” your bottom lip and top teeth come into contact. However, when you say “water,” the sound comes from the contact of your lips only. (Try it!)

Hawaiʻians don’t use really have a V and a W. Instead, they have a hard W that sounds like a V and a soft W that sounds like a W. However, their teeth are not used to make either sound.

Can you start to see how easy it could be for the missionaries to miss the mark on translating Hawaiʻian to a written language? It’s these kinds of subtleties that we count on trained linguists to point out.

Additionally, when a W falls after an A, there is no hard-and-fast rule for whether the sound should be a hard W (ha-VAI-ee) or a soft W (ha-WHY-ee). Many argue for the V pronunciation, while others say it can sound a bit, well, affected—especially coming out of the mouth of a Mainlander.

Your best bet? Focus on the ‘okina! Master making it feel natural, then venture into the great ha-WHY-ee vs. ha-VAI-ee debate.