Loan Words: English to Hawaiian with Sound Shifts

Source: Elbert, Samuel H, & Pukui, Mary Kawena, Hawaiian Grammar,
University of Hawai`i Press, Honolulu, 1979.

Pronunciation Guide

English

Hawaiian

Examples of English to Hawaiian:

h

sh

h

home

Charlotte, sheep

home (home)

Halaki,hipa

wh

hu

w

u

wheel

whiskey

wharf

huila

wekekê

uapo

j

i

Iesû

Jesus

d

t

th

s

sh

z

ch

j, soft g

k

g

k

diamond

ticket

diphtheria

soap

brush

kokiaka

pika

Keoki

kolokê

Kilipaki

kaimana

kikiki

kipikelia

kopa

palaki

zodiac

pitcher

George

croquet

Gilbert

l

r

l

laki

laiki

kolopâ (r at the end is often dropped)

lucky

rice

crowbar

m

m

market

mâkeke

n

ng

n

Norway

king

Nolewai

kini

p

b

f

p

Peter

beer

flour

Pika

pia

palaoa

v

w

w

velvet

wine

welaweka

waina

A vowel is added at the end of words, very often a, as in, school (kula).

  • Missionary introductions were Hawaiianized using English spellings, rather than pronunciations, as in: poloka (frog), koma (comma), liona (lion), hîmeni (hymn)

There are no consonant clusters in Hawaiian:

  • Adjoining English consonants are either separated by a vowel, as in pâlumi (broom).
  • Or, one of the consonants is dropped, as in kila (steel) or San Francisco (Kapalakiko).

Pronunciation Guide

Try practicing these loan words:

Beretania

Britain

Ikalia

Italian

Kakalina, kakalina

Katherine, gasoline

Kêpani

Japanese

kika

(Hawaiian meaning is "slippery")

sister, cider, tiger, cassia

kini

(Hawaiian meaning is "multitude")

gin, tin, king, kin, zinc, Guinea, Jean, Jane, Jennie

Kôlea

Korean / Korea

Niu `Enelani

New England

pepa

paper

pila

Bill

Pilipino

Filipino

pipi

beef

puke

book

Pronunciation Guide

Hybrid Words

haukalima

ice cream

  • hau, Hawaiian for ice
  • kalima, English loan word for cream

mîkini `apo leo

recorder

  • mîkini, English loan word for machine
  • `apo leo, Hawaiian for "catching the voice"

13 hybrid entries are listed under mîkini in the Hawaiian Dictionary.

nî`au pûlumi

straw broom

  • nî`au, Hawaiian for coconut-leaf midrib
  • pûlumi, English loan word for broom

nîoi pekela

nîoi pepa

betel nut

chili pepper

  • nîoi, Hawaiian for pepper
  • pepa, English loan word for pepper
  • pekela, English loan word for betel

nûpepa puka lâ

daily newspaper (lit., newspaper issuing day)

  • nûpepa, English loan word for newspaper
  • puka lâ, Hawaiian for issuing day

`ohe puluka

bamboo flute

  • `ohe, Hawaiian for bamboo
  • puluka, English loan word for flute

`ôhia loke

rose apple

  • `ôhia, Hawaiian for apple
  • loke, English loan word for rose

`ô`ô halo

harrow

  • `ô`ô, Hawaiian for digging stick
  • halo, English loan word for harrow

pipikaula

beef jerky (lit, beef rope)

  • pipi, English loan word for beef
  • kaula, Hawaiian for rope

wilikî

engineer (lit., key turning)

  • wili, Hawaiian for turn
  • kî, English loan word for key

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Aloha a hui hou, Leilani

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