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cmdrpiffle
`Olu`olu
USA
553 Posts |
 Posted - 02/05/2003 : 04:01:04 AM
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I suspect this question is for Sarah, or Reid. Keep in mind that I continue to be a white boy living in Kalifornia.
What do the Hawaiian words after your moniker mean? Like in JOEBLOW lokahi, or akahai, or Andys pupule?
I also suspect there are a few more people like me out there. Often words and phrases are thrown around on this site, with the evident expectation that those reading understand.
To quote Ody, I don't get it!!
I've played Hawaiian guitar for over 30 years. I've played Kiho'alu for the past 8. I've lived long periods of my youth in Kauai. Yet, often the most obvious difference in culture or dialect goes un-noticed, due to saturation I suppose.
Those of you out there, and I've seen quite a few on this site......(Sarah, Reid, Andy, John, and Raymond) to name only a few, who reside about this website, who obviously have taken the time to learn about that which makes your heart sing....Where do you pick it up? In my time, 'people' such as myself did not attempt Native language phrases, for reasons of self preservation. All those who went to public school in Hawaii in the 70's raise your hand.
Anyway, after reading Sarah's last post, I was transfixed by her knowledge. Anytime a person takes the time to find out whats RIGHT with a culture and system and then expresses their opinions thru music.... I want to be like that. I really do.
I love the music. All of the music of Hawaii. I've made my own stab at copying and writing my own. Yet, I cannot understand the unconditional 'love' for all things Hawaiian. There are some parts of this culture that are better left forgotten. Yet I see folks who have never lived, only visited, comment with authority. Why is that?
Again, when I read the folks who post here.....I am taken back to what really is right with the 50th state?.....Aloha. In what the word really means. Thank you for that TaroPatch. A lot of us out there see it as nothing more complicated that enjoying the best form of music that ever surfaced on this planet...KiHo'Alu!!!
Someone please post or write me about those meanings.....and I mean all of them! I'm getting tired of the shake shake nod nod, wink wink....oh ya, sure, I know what your talking about. (Cause I don't have a clue)....we wanna play too.
Peace All,
IMAF
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my Poodle is smarter than your honor student |
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Sarah
`Olu`olu
571 Posts |
Posted - 02/05/2003 : 09:11:50 AM
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Welina mai e piffle,
I believe Andy Admin settled on those monikers because they are the Hawaiian values associated with the word A-L-O-H-A, as below (which I snagged from a spirit of aloha website). These values are truly deep and important to the Hawaiian people. Oh, and pupule means *crazy* ---- anyone who posts that much gotta be nuts! :-)
AKAHAI – meaning kindness, to be expressed with tenderness. To be kind one must know kindness within themselves and have a sense of self-esteem.
LOKAHI – meaning unity, to be expressed with harmony. Unity creates a sense of team work; working together to reach the common goals of a job well done, customers well catered to and harmony felt among the staff and clientele.
'OLU'OLU – meaning agreeable, to be expressed with pleasantness. One who is agreeable knows how to express their opinions, ideas and point of view in a non-threatening manner. It requires the ability to resolve conflicts as they arise, it requires responsibility, and a resourceful approach to each situation.
HA'AHA'A – meaning humility, to be expressed with modesty. Being successful requires a willingness to learn. When we are humble, we are able to more readily learn new skills and work with others more effectively. We are also more likely to look for and acknowledge the greatness in others, encouraging them to do their best
AHONUI – meaning patience, to be expressed with perseverance. Patience and perseverance are critical elements for thriving in today's world. A job well done often requires several attempts, and potentially, several creative approaches. Patience and perseverance allow us to see our projects through to a successful completion
aloha,
Sarah |
Edited by - Sarah on 02/05/2003 09:16:26 AM |
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Admin
Pupule
USA
4551 Posts |
Posted - 02/05/2003 : 10:00:08 AM
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Thanks for answering Sarah.
I could not resist using the above words borrowed from Aunty D's "THE ALOHA SPIRIT LAW" at www.hawaiianlanguage.com. Sums it up pretty nicely, yeah? When I asked Aunty D if I could use it, she kindy replied, "Those words are not mine, but ours. Enjoy!" Yep, that's aloha.
Don't have time to elaborate more at this moment.
Still crazy,
Andy |
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pili
Aloha
USA
12 Posts |
Posted - 02/05/2003 : 10:27:04 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by cmdrpiffle
I also suspect there are a few more people like me out there. Often words and phrases are thrown around on this site, with the evident expectation that those reading understand.
To quote Ody, I don't get it!!
Aloha Ë Piffle,
I would like to recommend one the most valuable resources ever... the Hawaiian dictionary by Aunty Kawena Püku`i and Samuel Elbert... not the little paperback, the big hardcover. This is more than a reference book, it's a heroic work of cultural preservation, full of language and cultural examples, history, and aloha. More than once I've been working on a translation to some obscure song, and found the very line I was puzzling over used as an example in the dictionary! This is a very rich book, one that you can just browse through and, every time, gain deeper insights into ka mana`o ä me ka nohona o Hawai`i nei. (Look it up!) 
quote:
There are some parts of this culture that are better left forgotten.
We all know that no culture is entirely good or bad... I like the lines from Haunani Apoliona's sovereignity song, "E Mau Ana Ka Ha`aheo":
Me nä mea `oi loa
Mai nä wä ma mua
E holomua käkou i këia au
(Using the very best things
From times past
Let us move forward in this age)
Ka `Ölelo Hawai`i is definitely on of those "very best things".
Enjoy that dictionary!
(BTW, the original name of the Aloha Spirit Law is the Aloha Chant, written By Aunty Pilahi Paki, and recorded by the Sons of Hawai`i on the Fok Music of Hawai`i lp/cd.)
ä hui hou,
Pili |
Edited by - pili on 02/05/2003 10:39:30 AM |
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Sarah
`Olu`olu
571 Posts |
Posted - 02/05/2003 : 2:35:57 PM
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Aloha käua e Piffle,
Yes, I heartily second Pili's recommendation of the "big dictionary" (that goes for everyone here, whoever's reading). It's really much more worthwhile than the paperback, because what we encounter in songs and such is often vocabulary that is not among the 4,000 most common words (or whatever it was that the paperback includes). And the big dictionary lists many more meanings, some of which are just what one was needing to find out, and the absence of which in the paperback left one totally perplexed. It also often has examples of usage, which is another helpful thing.
Check it out: http://www.hulasource.com/hawdicrevand.html
It's only $29.95!!
-Sarah |
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konavet
Aloha
USA
21 Posts |
Posted - 02/05/2003 : 2:55:01 PM
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while we're making suggestions for good sources of information on Hawaiian language and culture, I have found the following to be extremely valuable and informative:
'Olelo No'eau by Mary Kawena Pukui (Bishop Museum Press,1983)
The Native Planters by Handy,Handy and Pukui (Bishop, 1991)
Nana I Ke Kumu Vol. I and II, (my ex took my copies so I don't have the publisher, but it's probably Bishop, too.)
Aloha
Dr. Pat
Ps. I took the liberty of adding links to the book titles -Admin |
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cmdrpiffle
`Olu`olu
USA
553 Posts |
Posted - 02/05/2003 : 4:20:41 PM
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Okay, you people simply are the best.
Sarah, thank you for spelling it out! literally. I like what Andy did with aloha, but would not have made the connection.
Pili and Konavet, thank you for the suggestions on resources. I will take a look at some of those in the next few weeks.
Mike |
my Poodle is smarter than your honor student |
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Julie H
Ha`aha`a
USA
1206 Posts |
Posted - 02/05/2003 : 11:40:03 PM
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| OK, am I missing out on something here? I got the discussion about the names, but when and why are they attached to our names? At what time do we "become" pupule, or akahai, or aloha? Is there a relationship between that name and how often we post? Is it an indication of when we joined? Aloha ahiahi kakou, Julie |
Edited by - Julie H on 02/05/2003 11:41:03 PM |
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marzullo
`Olu`olu
USA
923 Posts |
Posted - 02/05/2003 : 11:47:25 PM
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hi julie,
no, it's linked to the number of postings you've made (except for "pupule", which means you're crazy enough to run taropatch).
aloha,
keith
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Keith |
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Admin
Pupule
USA
4551 Posts |
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RJS
Ha`aha`a
1635 Posts |
Posted - 02/06/2003 : 01:59:52 AM
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cmdrpiffle,
'Scuse the spelling - its getting late ...
To speak for myself. I try to only post about stuff I know or have strong opinions about which are usually based on some fact. Some of what I know about languages comes from having degrees in languages and hermeneutics ("science" of translation.) Some comes from having friends in different ethnics groups who are going through similar stuff Hawaiians are (Hawaiian wasn't the only language that foreigners tried to stomp out. It's a centuries old tactic for "cultural genocide.") Some comes from trying to keep my inherited culture alive while still being a contemporary english speaking american. Some comes from little bits of study here and there over the years. When I comment on language I try to stick to process issues not content.
As far as music -- my knowledge comes from lots of listening and reading everything I can get my hands on. I use most of my vacation days learning more about Hawaian music. I also try to study with musicians I admire and ask as much as I can get away with about the music. I still play the music "my way," but I do try to respect the original and ongoing contextx and meanings.
If you read my comments over time, you also might see that I write a lot about change, keeping things flexible, leaving room for lots of different approaches to things. Some of that comes from my natural inclination to take pot shots at anyone who holds himself to be an expert. (Don't mean anyone specifically on this site.) Some of that comes from my own philosophy of life, some comes from my take on Buddha's basic teachings about what we do to make the world a place of "suffering." I don't really like to suffer.
Raymond Stovich
San Jose |
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Auntie Maria
Ha`aha`a
USA
1918 Posts |
Posted - 02/06/2003 : 1:57:45 PM
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On learning the Hawaiian language -- there are many, many good instructional sources (books, books with cassettes, etc.).
My advice to newbies who may not have the advantage of having native speakers in their circle of friends and, therefore, may not be able to use the language daily, is to start with commonly used phrases such as "Pehea oe?" (How are you?), "Maika`i" (good; fine) and li'dat.
There is an _excellent_ book for learning these and incorporating them into your verbal and written communcations:
TREASURY OF HAWAIIAN WORDS IN ONE HUNDRED AND ONE CATEGORIES
by Harold Kent
http://www.mele.com/v3/info/1070.htm
And just an aside with regard where to purchase books -- shop around!
Independent bookstores on the mainland can order anything for you, and there are soooooo many online retailers, too (some of them even sell at discount!  )
-- auntie maria |
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AuntyD
Aloha
24 Posts |
Posted - 11/14/2003 : 7:31:14 PM
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Aloha ka~kou,
I enjoyed reading this older thread and seeing your interest in the Hawaiian language. I say "ditto" to all the recommendations made here. The HAWAIIAN DICTIONARY is one of my MOST treasured books. This is the big, hardback one, not the pocketbook version. I am a bookworm, so that's saying A LOT! I can spend hours happily perusing it.
Sarah's, konavet's and Auntie Maria's recommendations are right on. (Aloha to you, Auntie M: Pehea `oe?)
I grew up with native speakers, including extended family members and next-door neighbors. They spoke it among themselves, and we spoke to them in pidgin, heavily laced with Hawaiian words. Even if I wanted to study it as a young person, it was not possible, as it was not taught back then. Before I pursued my present career, I was a language major (Spanish, French, Japanese) in college, so I have a profound and an abiding interest in languages.
Since that time, I have formally studied "university" Hawaiian at the University of Hawai`i, Ma~noa, and independently with textbooks, tapes, videotapes, and speaking with a few remaining native speakers.
I do not, however, claim to be fluent in Hawaiian. To be fluent, one must speak it daily, think in it, and dream in it. Fluent speakers are rarities, but thanks to the revival of the `olelo (Hawaiian language), more exist.
I know the basics, and I am happy to share them with you and the world, as my makana Aloha (gift of Aloha)-- my giving back to ku`u Hawai`i Nei (my beloved Hawai`i) and to help perpetuate its language.
From time to time, I am asked to give Hawaiian language and culture talks and workshops. Most recently, I prepared this handout for my students, which may be of interest to some of you on this forum:
http://www.geocities.com/~olelo/workshop.htm
These days I think of myself as a catalyst, as several of my "students" have gone on to become Hawaiian language students and now join the heady ranks of the fluent. Perhaps learning the basics will catalyze YOUR Hawaiian singing as you accompany yourself on your slack key guitar.
Me ke Aloha,
Aunty D http://hawaiianlanguage.com
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RJS
Ha`aha`a
1635 Posts |
Posted - 11/14/2003 : 8:28:38 PM
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Very nice pages
Mahalo nui
Raymond
San Jose |
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hapakid
Luna Ho`omalu
USA
1533 Posts |
Posted - 11/15/2003 : 01:44:50 AM
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Aunty D,
Your website is a treasure. Thanks for all your work on it. I have spent hours there. Jesse Tinsley |
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David
Akahai
92 Posts |
Posted - 11/15/2003 : 4:33:44 PM
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| Aunty, I agree. Thanks indeed. It's rare to find a site is founded with such good intentions, delivering such an array of important information, and extending such aloha. It's an honor to have you posting here. |
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