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Tonya
Lokahi
USA
177 Posts |
 Posted - 05/17/2006 : 06:29:18 AM
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I'm writing an article and quoting someone who uses the term "kanikapila." I've always understood the colloquial meaning of that word/phrase to be an informal musical jamming session, as in backyard barbecue, on the beach, etc. But, in checking some online Hawaiian dictionaries I don't find the word as a single word as I've previously seen it written informally. I find reference to "kani" and "pila" and now I'm not sure how to type this word up in the article (or how to define it).
Can you help me? Keep in mind this is for a general audience publication, read in Hawaii as well as on the mainland, so I'm looking for common usage/spelling, not necessarily a research paper version!
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http://www.uketreasures.com
http://www.ukuleletonya.com |
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Lawrence
Ha`aha`a
USA
1597 Posts |
Posted - 05/17/2006 : 07:06:29 AM
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I am not a Hawaiian Language expert, but if you look up:
____ "kani" means sound, "ka" is "the" and "pila" means violin
____ or pila can be extended to mean any string instrument.
The literal translation would then be "sound of the fiddle"
I have seen it many times as "kanikapila" and "kani kapila" but
hardly ever as "kani ka pila", so it seems that it is more common
to lump the three root words togther into one.
This is all I have observed - others can perhaps offer more insight...
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Mahope Kākou...
...El Lorenzo de Ondas Sonoras |
Edited by - Lawrence on 05/17/2006 07:08:05 AM |
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Bruddah Chrispy
Lokahi
USA
164 Posts |
Posted - 05/17/2006 : 07:40:49 AM
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Aloha kakou,
They are three separate words meaning, in this context, "Sound (play) the instrument". It might be better to say Kani na pila (making instrument plural). Or even tack on "kakou" to say that "we" are playing the instruments. I think that would be something like "E kani na pila `ana kakou"
But that's the Hawaiian version. We could also consider that that phrase/word kanikapila is pidgeon (Hawaiian Creole English) whose roots are Hawaiian and which has come to mean a slack key jam session.
But that's just my very uneducated opinion. Maybe someone with more fluency will jump in.
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Aloha a hui hou,
Chris P.
There's no regrets; only good times. |
Edited by - Bruddah Chrispy on 05/17/2006 08:54:29 AM |
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Bruddah Chrispy
Lokahi
USA
164 Posts |
Posted - 05/17/2006 : 12:46:36 PM
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John makes an excellent point. Kanikapila could be considered a noun refering to a jam session. It happens to be formed from the phrase mentioned earlier, but has become a word unto itself.
Mahalo e John!
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Aloha a hui hou,
Chris P.
There's no regrets; only good times. |
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Mika ele
Ha`aha`a
USA
1493 Posts |
Posted - 05/17/2006 : 3:26:46 PM
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You should ask keola Donaghy at nahenahe.net -- He would be one of the world's experts on that question since is podcast on Hawaiian Music is all Hawaiian and he teaches music and language at UH-Hilo.
Malama Na Koa,
Mike |
E nana, e ho'olohe. E pa'a ka waha, e hana ka lima. |
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Ray Sowders
Akahai
USA
96 Posts |
Posted - 05/17/2006 : 4:14:56 PM
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Howzit Folks,
My 2 cents would refer you to the popular book "He Mele Aloha". Just after the table of contents there is a page called "Mahalo". (vii) This is where they explain the purpose of the book. They spell it out as one word "kanikapila"... since Puakea Nogelmeier did the orthography and translation, I would trust this. In the past when he helped me he corrected both my English and Hawaiian in CD and musical projects!!! He's one of the very best. Keep playing and singing... Ray
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Tonya
Lokahi
USA
177 Posts |
Posted - 05/18/2006 : 6:43:46 PM
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| Thanks to everyone for the thoughtful responses. I sent an e-mail with the question to Keola Donghy (nahenahe.net) yesterday; I haven't heard back yet, but, agreeing with Ray that He Mele Aloha's terminology must be correct (with the experts they consulted), I used the word (as a noun in this case) as "kanikapila" in the submitted article. The good news? The editor accepted the submission for publication (and *that* means I can "write off" at least a part of my trip to play ukulele in Indianapolis last year at the MidWest UkeFest); hooray! Thank you, again! |
http://www.uketreasures.com
http://www.ukuleletonya.com |
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Bruddah Chrispy
Lokahi
USA
164 Posts |
Posted - 05/19/2006 : 11:14:24 AM
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| So if I write one article for some kine can I write off my trip home this fall? :) |
Aloha a hui hou,
Chris P.
There's no regrets; only good times. |
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Tonya
Lokahi
USA
177 Posts |
Posted - 05/19/2006 : 2:29:56 PM
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Oh, Chris--wouldn't that be great? If I'd had my 'druthers I'd rather have written off a trip to Hawaii, too. Heck, I'm just glad to be able to have a Hawaiian Air credit card so the money I *do* spend (and pay off!) gets me somewhere nice...
And, if folks are interested, here's the response I received today from Keola Donaghy (he said he didn't mind if I shared it with all):
"Kanikapila is three words, "kani ka pila", literally it would mean "the instrument (makes a) sound. It is a verb phrase. It has come to used as a noun, like as in a backyard jam session, but it is not used in the Hawaiian language that way. If I were to see someone with an instrument and want them to play it, I would say "e kani ka pila", "let the instrument sound". This has to do with the preference of the passive voice in Hawaiian.
"The use of kanikapila is similar to the use of "hemo your slippers". Hemo does not mean "take off", it describes the condition of something as already having been removed. Your slippers are hemo when they are not on your feet. To take them off is "ho'ohemo". They are many instances like this of Hawaiian words being used in English, and their use in that context does not always match the correct Hawaiian usage." |
http://www.uketreasures.com
http://www.ukuleletonya.com |
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Mika ele
Ha`aha`a
USA
1493 Posts |
Posted - 05/19/2006 : 3:33:29 PM
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I knew Keola would set us all straight.
now I have to:
ho'oma'ama'a e kani ka pila ke kika ki ho'alu |
E nana, e ho'olohe. E pa'a ka waha, e hana ka lima. |
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