Read this article in ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi
Aloha, readers of this special column for Hawaiian Language Month. My eyes were recently attracted to a new word that I didn’t know but could figure out because of my knowledge of parts of the word.
Although I am not a linguist, I am just a student of the Hawaiian language until I am of a ripe old age, I think a look at prefixes and suffices of the Hawaiian language might be useful. These word parts help in comprehension and in appreciating our mother tongue.
The new word that I got to know was the word “hāʻike.” It is a word created by a teacher to distinguish between two back-to-back exhibitions. The word “hāʻike” was the exhibition filled with traditions, songs, chanting, hula, a ceremonial meal much like an ʻuniki (graduation).
The “hōʻike” was when the projects of the students were left out for visitors to see. The prefix hā- was used, a word part that is similar in meaning to hoʻo- and haʻa-. The two are prefixes that show the creation of an action from the root of a word as in hoʻolauleʻa, hoʻohauʻoli, and hoʻomana.
The prefix haʻa is the common prefix used throughout Polynesia amongst our cousins such as faʻa- (Tahiti, Sāmoa), faka- (Tonga), and whaka- (Aotearoa). If one hears haʻa-/faʻa-/faka-/whaka-, then that person can decipher the meaning of the word. Try these: whakarongo (Māori), faʻaite (Tahiti), faʻatasi (Sāmoa), fakasiʻisiʻi (Tonga).
In Hawaiʻi, hā- is seen in words like hāinu, hāʻawe, hākuʻi. If someone describes the color of something, he would describe it thusly – whiteish, blueish, reddish, and so forth as a means to describe the quality and appearance of a flower, or perhaps clothing. Another prefix with a meaning like hā-, hoʻo-, and haʻa-, is the prefix kā- as in kāpili, kāhili, kākoʻo, kāmaʻa, and kāwili.
There are prefixes that describe nature of something. For example, the word mā- in Māʻili describes its nature – very pebbly when seen. If you are familiar with Māʻili Hill on Oʻahu, you will see the truth in the description – pebbly in appearance.
The prefixes ʻō and pā- are similar to -ish in English. Therefore, if a fruit is ʻōmaka then its shoots, buds, and fruit are fresh (maka) and just appearing (hoʻomaka). If somethig is pāhaʻohaʻo then it is wondrous. So, too, would one analyze pāhemo as slack-ish, pāhemahema as clumsy-ish, and pāheahea as call-ish.
We have arrived at the cape of ʻĀpua (the end). We will look at suffixes in March. Until we meet again in March, as home study, to improve your language learning, look for and compile other prefixes.
For starters, look for words beginning with “kū-.”
