Is it Hah-wah-ee or Hah-vah-ee? |
Neither is correct! Surprised? I was. I'd been mispronouncing it Hah-wah- ee, all my life! Ha wai' ee or Hah vai' ee are the CORRECT pronunciations, with the diphthong, "ai", which sounds like the "i" in "bite" or "Viking".Perhaps, like me, you've unknowingly "slaughtered" the pronunciations of our place names. Hey, we didn't know any better. Let's not beat ourselves up. Now we know better. |
One day, proper and due respect will be accorded our language, especially with the names of our wahi pana (cherished places). I envision a time when names on street signs, maps, and newspapers are accurately spelled with `okina and kahakô, and correctly pronounced by radio and TV personalities, newscasters, flight attendants, tour guides, and other public speakers. In the meantime, let us become gentle educators, prodding others into "correctness" with our aloha.We can make a difference. |
Sources:
Pukui, Mary Kawena & Elbert, Samuel H.,
Ka Puana Pololei * |
Ka Puana Pololei `Ole Mispronunciation |
|
[nee ee hau'] |
[nee' how] |
|
Pu`uwai |
[poo oo vai'] |
[poo' vai] |
Ka Puana Pololei * |
Ka Puana Pololei `ole Mispronunciation |
|
[kau (w)ah' ee] |
[kah wai'] [cow eye] |
|
Lîhu`e |
[LEE hoo eh] |
[lee hooey] [lay hoo ee] |
Hanalei |
[hah nah lei ']
|
[han' nah lay] |
Hanapêpê |
[hah nah PEH' PEH'] |
[han' nah pay pay]
|
Kapa`a |
[kah pah' ah] |
[kah PAH'] |
Kôke`e |
[KOH' keh eh] |
[KOH' KEH'] |
Nâ Pali |
[NAH' pah' lee] |
[nah pah' lee]
|
Po`ipû |
[poh ee POO'] |
[poy' poo] |
Wai`ale`ale |
[wai' ah leh ah leh] |
[why alley alley] Mountain (5080 ft), mean annual rainfall: 476 inches. |
Waimea |
[wai' meh (y)ah] |
[why mee' ah] |
Ka Puana Pololei * |
Ka Puana Pololei `Ole Mispronunciation |
|
[oh ah' hoo] |
[oh wah' hoo] |
|
`Aiea |
[ai' (y)eh (y)ah] |
[ai eh' ah] |
`Âina Haina |
[AH' (y)ee nah |
[ai' nah hai' nah] |
Ala Moana |
[ah' lah |
[al' ley |
Hau`ula |
[hau' oo lah] |
[hah OO lah] [hah oo oo lah] |
Honolulu |
[hoh' noh loo' loo] |
[hah' nah loo loo] [han' nah lew lew] |
`Iolani (the high flight of the hawk signified royalty) |
[ee' (y)oh lah' nee]
|
[ee oh lah' nee] Royal palace, named after King Kamehameha IV (Alexander `Iolani) |
Ka`a`awa |
[kah' ah ah' vah] |
[kah ah' vah] [KAH' vah] |
Kaimukî |
[kai moo KEE'] |
[kai moo' kee] |
Kahalâ |
[kah hah LAH'] |
[kah hah' lah] |
Kailua |
[kai' loo (w)ah]
|
[kai loo' ah]
|
Ka`iulani |
[kah iu' lah nee] "iu" diphthong sounds like "ew" in the word, few. |
[kai lah' nee] Avenue, hotel, for Princess Ka`iulani (1875-1899), niece of King Kalâkaua |
Kalâkaua |
[kah LAH' kau (w)ah] |
[kah lah kah' wah] Avenue, parkway named for King Kalâkaua (1836-1891) |
Kalaniana`ole |
[kah lah' nee ah' nah oh' leh] |
[kah lah nee an' na oh lee] Highway named for Prince Jonah Kûhiô Kalaniana`ole |
Kamehameha |
[kah meh' hah meh' hah] |
[kah me ah me ah] NEVER : [kam] |
Kâne`ohe |
[KAH' neh oh' heh]
|
[can nee oh' hee] [kah' neh oh' heh]
|
Kapi`olani |
[kah pih' oh lah' nee] |
[kap' pee oh lan' nee] [kah pyo lah nee] Park / Boulevard is named for Queen Kapi`olani, (1834-1899) wife of King Kalâkaua |
Kawaiaha`o |
[kah wai' ah hah' oh] |
[kah wai' how] Church in Honolulu |
Ke`eaumoku |
[keh' eh (y)au moh' koo] |
[kay yow' moh koo] |
Kemo`o |
[keh moh' oh] |
[KEE MOO] |
Ko`olau |
[koh oh lau'] |
[koh lau']
|
Lâ`ie |
[LAH' ee (y)eh]
|
[lai' yeh] [lah ee' eh] |
Lanikai Developers believed it meant "heavenly sea", but in Hawaiian, the adjective follows the noun, and hence this less poetic meaning |
[lah nee kai'] |
[lanny kai] |
Likelike |
[lee' keh lee' keh] |
[leaky leaky] [like like] Highway named for Princess Miriam Likelike (1851-1887), younger sister of King Kalâkaua |
Mâ`ili |
[MAH' ee lee] |
[my' lee] [my' lay] |
Mâkaha |
[MAH' kah hah] |
[mah kah' hah] |
Makapu`u |
[mah' kah poo' oo]
|
[mah kah poo'] |
Mânoa |
[MAH' noh (w)ah] |
[mah know' ah] |
Mô`ili`ili |
[MOH' ee lee ee lee] |
[moi' lih lih] [moh' ee lih lih] |
Mokulê`ia |
[moh koo LEH' ee (y)ah] |
[moh koo lay' yah] |
Nânâkuli |
[NAH' NAH' koo lee] |
[nah nah koo' lee] |
Nu`uanu |
[noo' oo (w)ah' noo] |
[noo' ah noo] [noo' wah noo] |
Pâlolo |
[PAH' loh loh] |
[pah low' low] |
Pipeline |
[pee' peh lee' neh] * |
[pipe line] |
Punahou |
[poo nah hou'] |
[pun' nah hoe] [poo nah hoh'] |
Punalu`u |
[poo' nah loo' oo] |
[poo nah loo'] |
Wai`alae |
[wai' ah lae'] |
[wai' lai] [why lie] |
Wahiawâ |
[wah hee (y)ah WAH] |
[wah hee ah wah'] [wah hee wah'] |
Wai`anae |
[wai ah nae'] |
[wai ' nai'] |
Waikîkî |
[wai KEE' KEE'] |
[wai kih kih'] [wah kee kee] |
*Joke, joke. I couldn't resist. It is pipeline [pipe' line].
J
Ka Puana Pololei * |
Ka Puana Pololei `Ole Mispronunciation |
|
[moh' loh kah' ee] |
[moh loh' kai] [moll' low kai] |
|
Kaunakakai |
[kau' nah kah kai'] |
[kah' nah kah kai']
|
Hâlawa |
[HAH' lah vah] |
[hah lah vah] |
Ho`olehua |
[hoh' oh
|
[HOH' leh hoo ah] [hoh lay hoo' ah] |
`Ili`ili`ôpae |
[ee' lee ee' lee OH' pae] |
[ee lee lee oh pai'] Largest, oldest heiau on Moloka`i |
Kalaupapa |
[kah lau' pah pah] |
[kah' lah pah' pah] |
Kaluako`i |
[kah loo' (w)ah koh' ee] |
[kah loo ah koi'] |
Ka Puana Pololei * |
Ka Puana Pololei `Ole Mispronunciation |
|
|
[LAH' nah ee] |
[lah nai'] |
Lâna`i City |
[LAH' nah ee si' ti] |
[lah nai' si ti] |
Kô`ele |
[KOH' eh leh] |
[koh eh' leh] |
Mânele |
[MAH' neh leh] |
[mah ney' lee] [man nel' lee] |
Ka Puana Pololei * |
Ka Puana Pololei `Ole Mispronunciation |
|
|
[mau' (w)ee] |
[mah' wee] |
Haleakalâ |
[hah leh ah kah LAH'] |
[halley ah' kah lah] [hal' eh ah' kah lah] |
Hâli`imaile |
[HAH' lee ee mai leh] |
[hai' lee mai' lee] [hi lee my lee] |
Hâna |
[HAH' nah] |
[hah' nah] [han' nah] |
Honokôhau |
[hoh noh KOH' hau] |
[hoh' noh koh' how] |
Kâ`anapali |
[KAH' ah nah pah lee] |
[KAH' nah pah lee] [can' nah pal' lee] |
Kahului |
[kah hoo lui'] |
[kah hoo loo' wee]
|
Kîhei |
[KEE' hei] |
[kee' hey] [kee' hay] |
Lahaina |
[lah hai' nah] Originally, [LAH' hai NAH'] |
|
Nâpili |
[NAH' pee lee] |
[nah pee lee] |
Pâ`ia |
[PAH' ee (y)ah] |
[pah EE' ah] [pie' yah] |
Ka Puana Pololei * |
Ka Puana Pololei `Ole Mispronunciation |
|
[kah' hoh oh lah' veh] |
[kah' hoh lah' veh] |
Ka Puana Pololei * |
Ka Puana Pololei `Ole Mispronunciation |
|
[hah wai' ee] or [hah vai' ee] |
[hah wah' ee] [hah vah' ee] [hah wai' yah] [hah' wai] |
|
Hâwî |
[HAH' VEE'] |
[hah' vee] |
Hilo |
[hee' loh] |
[hee' low] [hi low] |
Honoka`a |
[hoh' noh kah' ah] |
[hoh noh KAH] |
Honoli`i |
[hoh' noh lee' ee] |
[hoh noh lee'] |
Ka`û |
[kah OO'] |
[kah oo'] |
Kawaihae |
[kah wai' hae'] |
[kah wah hai'] |
Kea`au |
[ke (y)ah au'] |
[kay yow'] |
Keâhole |
[keh (Y)AH' hoh leh] |
[keh ah hoh' lay] |
Keaukaha |
[keh (y)au' kah hah] |
[kyo' kah hah] |
Kona |
[koh' nah] |
[kou' nah] |
Lili`uokalani At the time of Lili`u's birth, her foster mother's aunt, Kînau, was suffering from eye pain; hence the name. |
[lee lee oo' (w)oh kah lah nee] |
[lee lee oh' kah lah nee] [Lilly oh kah lanny] Park in Hilo named for Queen Lili`uokalani (1838-1917), last queen of Hawai`i |
Mauna Kea |
[mau' nah keh' (y)ah] |
[mah' nah kee' yah] |
Nâ`âlehu |
[NAH' AH' leh hoo]
|
[NAH' leh hoo]
|
Nâpô`opo`o |
[NAH' POH' oh poh oh] |
[nah POH' POH'] |
`Opihikâô |
[oh pee hee |
[oh pee hee kow'] |
Pâhoa |
[PAH' hoh (w)ah] |
[pah hoh' ah] |
Pâhala |
[PAH' hah lah] |
[pah hah' lah] |
Pu`uloa |
[poo' oo loh' (w)ah] |
[POO' loh ah] Old name for Queen's Bath, now covered with lava, Puna district |
Waiâkea |
[wai AH' keh (y)ah] |
[wai kay' ah] |
Waiânuenue |
[wai AH' noo (w)eh noo (w)eh] |
[wai' nui nui] Old name for Rainbow Falls / Avenue in Hilo |
Waimea |
[wai' meh (y)ah] |
[wai mee' ah] |
Waipi`o |
[wai' pee oh] |
[wai pee' yoh] |
Some of these place names are ancient, with lost origins
and meanings, and therefore without translations.
Subtleties:
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