Hawaiian Pronunciation

The Hawaiian Language has come a long way from being the mother language of Hawai'i (spoken everywhere and everyday), to almost becoming extinct during the overthrow times, to now having schools throughout the islands that use Hawaiian as the primary method for teaching students. As with any language over time it grows and is a living entity that changes as the people change. Language is a way of looking through the eyes of a culture and understanding their practices and way of life.


As we look back at the history of Hawai'i and where we have come from, our language has adapted to the times. I want to encourage you to visit this site: http://www.traditionalhawaiian.com/ which looks at the pronunciation of Hawaiian today from those that have learned Hawaiian in the university setting (this is how I learned Hawaiian) and compares it to those that have grown up with Hawaiian being passed down to them from a native Hawaiian speaker. Specifically, download the article on the website entitled: "Tūtū's Hawaiian and the Emergence of a Neo Hawaiian Language." You will find the link at the top of the website. This will give you a deeper insight into where Hawaiian Language is today. It's very informative and you will learn a lot.


Only after reading the above article (yes go and read it now!) that I want you to listen to some original recordings of Hawaiian Language speakers here. At this site, Clinton Kanahele interviews various people in their mother tongue: Hawaiian. Transcripts with translations and mp3s are included so you can hear my beautiful language! Here is the website again: http://library.byuh.edu/library/archives/kanahele

After reading the article and listening to some samples of Hawaiian, please write a comment below and share your thoughts!