![]() I noted, for example, that nowhere on O’ahu, Mau’i or Kaua’i did I hear Hawai’ian language being spoken, even amongst groups of Hawai’ians. I started to dig a little deeper, though, and began to realise that the language isn’t quite as healthy as it seems. Hawai’ian music draws heavily on Hawai’ian language, though it is also a hybrid of Western instrumentation and structure with enchanting Hawai’ian melodies. Pearl City, for example, is squeezed between Waipi’o, Waipahu, Waimalu and ‘Aiea. Street names are mostly Hawai’ian, as are the names of towns and cities. One is completely surrounded by cultural and environmental phrases, from the frequent requests to practice “ ‘āina” (respect), and names of places, animals and foods. It’s packaged for tourists with the ubiquitous “Aloha” (hello) and “Mahalo” (thank you), as well as “E komo mai” (welcome) and “A hui hou” (see you soon/til we meet again) if you pay slightly more attention. Hawai’ian language is everywhere in Hawai’i. It was our second visit to Hawai’i, and even more than the first, I was starting to grow an interest in Hawai’ian history, and in particular the Hawai’ian language. Honolulu’s Iolani Palace, in the distinct Duolingo styleĪbout three weeks ago, though I didn’t quite realise it at the time, I was lucky enough to be on a vacation right at the moment before the world changed completely. ![]()
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