Category Archives: Language

Bible translation completed, March 25, 1839.

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TRANSLATION OF THE BIBLE.

Aloha to you all, O People of Hawaii nei:

This is something for us to be happy about. The translation of the Holy Book of God into Hawaiian is complete. The day this great work of the Missionaries was completed was March 25, 1839; nineteen years since the first Missionaries arrived here in Hawaii. The printing is almost done. Rejoice, O Hawaii nei, and your children, and the generations to come, for the kindness of God to you. Seek it out, and read it, and take care of this fine thing.

I have aloha for you all, and I tell you this with joy.

Bingham.
Honolulu, April 8, 1839.

(Kumu Hawaii, 4/10/1839, p. 91)

Ke Kumu Hawaii, Buke 4, Pepa 23, Aoao 91. Aperila 10, 1839.
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Moolelo Hawaii Kahiko, 1906

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Our Hawaiian History.

It is something we are regretful about at this time, as we realize, we are a lahui that truly is lacking in our Hawaiian history. It is not published in a book printed in our mother tongue. As we publish the history of Kamehameha I, we have found things that increasingly make us think about matters dealing with our Hawaiian history.

We remember that S. M. Kamakau wrote his Hawaiian history, and it was disseminated by the Nupepa Kuokoa and Au Okoa. But those newspapers have disappeared from the Hawaiian homes of these days; therefore, we are currently left without that very important history of our land, the history that was searched out and patiently studied by that famous historian of Hawaii nei. The Hawaiian history of Davida Malo that is set down in his handwritten book was translated into English and is now a book called, “Hawaiian Antiquities” at Kamehameha School.

Having a Hawaiian history in our own language is a very valuable thing; and we want to try to acquire some portions of this history in the future.

(Na’i Aupuni, 1/17/1906, p. 2)

Ka Na’i Aupuni, Buke I, Helu 44, Aoao 2. Ianuari 17, 1906.

Hawaiian Language in 1918.

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Is It Right to Neglect Our Mother Tongue?

To the Editor of the Kuokoa Newspaper; Aloha oe:–I ask of your graciousness in allowing me to clarify my thoughts on the title that appears above; I believe this title will become something that will motivate some of our people to also submit their thoughts [to be published] on that topic, that being: “Is it right to neglect our mother tongue?”

I bring up that question in regard to the Hawaiian language, the mother tongue of this lahui, because I see with these passing days, it is as if it is actually true, that there is no desire or wish within us to perpetuate our language to the very last generation of Hawaiians.

Continue reading →

I just saw Bishop Museum Press reprinted the Hawaiian and English Cross-Age Learning Picture Vocabulary Book, 2021.

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What is New is Old, 2021 / 1938.

Did you see the announcement from Bishop Museum Press saying that the Hawaiian and English Cross-Age Learning Picture Vocabulary Book is back in print after a long time of not being available. For more information about the book and how to order copies for people you know, click the image below.

The reprint of the vocabulary book reminded me of an earlier column appearing in Hoku o Hawaii starting in 1938. It was called “He haawina i kekahi poe,” and was started to help people learn Hawaiian and to increase the number of subscriptions to the newspaper. This column would continue on until 4/19/1939. “Lesson in Hawaiian” followed from 4/26/1939 until 6/20/1945. Continue reading →

He Aupuni Palapala project at Bishop Museum, 2021.

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Did you see the latest Nūhou Monday post from Bishop Museum? It mentions Ka Nūhou, the Hawaiian language newsletter put out by the club, Hui Aloha ʻĀina Tuahine at University of Hawaii at Mānoa. That was 49 years ago! Click here for the Nūhou Monday post from He Aupuni Palapala!

E na makua Hawaiʻi me na kupuna Hawaiʻi

…ʻO ʻoukou no na kumu helu ekahi o ka ʻolelo Hawaiʻi. Ka ʻolelo i aʻo ʻia mai ka puke mai, oʻohe no e like me ka ʻolelo mai koʻoukou waha mai.

Hawaiian parents and grandparents, you are the best teachers of the Hawaiian language.
The language taught from books is not like the language that comes from your mouths.
—A plea written by Haunani Bernardino, editor of Ka Nuhou, an English-Hawaiian newsletter.

Haunani Bernardino

Nuulani Atkins

Lurline Naone

Bill Wilson

By Arlene Lum
Star-Bulletinn Writer

Hawaiian is a living language and NOT a foreign one. And if a group of University of Hawaii students had their way, Hawaiian youngsters would be bilingual.

There are only 5,000 people in the State now who can speak the beautiful, musical language and only 150 at the University are trying to learn.

The reason?

“We were brought up feeling ashamed of our heritage,” according to Nuulani Atkins, a senior in his third year of language study. “I hated myself. I hated the Hawaiians. I felt inferior.” Continue reading →

Edwin M. Desha fights for Ka Hoku o Hawaii, 1938.

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Eddie Desha is Trying All Means to Save “Ka Hoku o Hawaii”

An effort to perpetuate the Hawaiian language and a Newspaper published in that language is being made in Hilo.

Eddie Desha, the nephew of the late Senator Stephen L. Desha Sr., is making this determined effort, with the courage and persistence which characterized his uncle, one of Hawaii’s noted orators and legislators.

Besides a small monthly magazine published by the Hawaiian Board of Missions [Ka Hoaloha], there now remains only one weekly newspaper printed in the native Hawaiian language of Hawaii. It is Ka Hoku o Hawaii (Star of Hawaii), published in Hilo by the Star of Hawaii Publishing Co., Ltd., of which W. H. Beers, Hilo attorney, is president, and Edwin M. Desha is treasurer and manager. Continue reading →

Plea for explanations of Hawaiian terms, 1899.

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HAWAIIAN WORDS

Under this heading [Huaolelo Hawaii], desired are native words of all sorts, and also the descriptions of those words, but send them to the Office of “Ka Loea Kalaiaina” in Honolulu. Being that amongst the Learned Nations of this world, cared for by them are numerous Books explaining their Language [Olelo Kumu], and Thus this effort is asking of the intimates and friends living all over the Archipelago, Continue reading →

On the state of the Hawaiian Language, 1920.

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101 years ago…

nupepa

PERTAINING TO THE HAWAIIAN LANGUAGE.

Mr. Editor of the Nupepa Kuokoa, Aloha oe:—In the Kuokoa of Friday, May 21, 1920, I saw your thoughts supporting Mr. Coelho on the Hawaiian Language, and about the lack of use of the Hawaiian language in some churches and Hawaiian organizations when they meet; English is what is spoken in meetings; not because Hawaiian is not understood, but because of their great embarrassment in speaking Hawaiian; there is English and it is attractive to speak, yet all the while they understand that it is not appropriate at all to be speaking in English.

It isn’t in some churches and Hawaiian associations that it is not spoken, but in markets, on streets, in homes in which true Hawaiians live, and all around this island of Oahu, only a very tiny fraction of true Hawaiians speak the Hawaiian language; most of the men, women, and children…

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Passing of Charles Pelenui Mahi, 1944.

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Passed On, He has Gone

We had no clue that the Angel of death was so close to the door of the bodily home of one of the finest fathers, that being our friend, Charles P. Mahi. The English messenger of Hilo announced that he left this worldly life.

Because of our fondness for the character of this fine father, we therefore publish a little thing so that the multitudes may know of the true nature of this father. Continue reading →

Things were looking grim for Hawaiian language, 1906.

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Do Not Forsake Your Mother Tongue

The native language of a people, like the Hawaiian Language for the Hawaiian lahui, is called the mother tongue of the Hawaiians. From what we know, how many Hawaiian youths educated in our High Schools and outside as well are truly well-supplied in knowledge and are skilled in the mother tongue of their land of birth?

We see these days that are going by, the children are grasping English, while they really have no desire to seek out the native tongue of their land of birth. It is very clear that because the Hawaiian language government schools have been put to an end, the large water sources [poo wai] that fed into all the water ditches [auwai] of knowledge in that language for the youth of Hawaii nei have closed up.  Continue reading →