He Momi e Lei ai (a pearl to wear as a lei)

1. Cool, cold; coolness, temperature. Nu ʻuanu (place name), cool elevation. hoʻānu To cool. (PCP anu.)

2. nvi. Cold, influenza; to have a cold. Ua loa ʻa i ke anu, to get a cold.

It must be that time of the year again. Maybe it is the calm after the business of the holiday season. Or perhaps it is just the exposure to all the little ones at school. He anu koʻu – I have a cold. I am in possession of a cold. In addition to that cold hard fact (just saw the pun on the re-read, lol), anu/anuanu ke anilā ma ke kakahiaka – The weather is cold in the mornings!!! BRRRRR!!! So just like in English, the word cold, anu, refers to temperature cold as well as that under the weather feeling complete with stuffy alternating runny nose, sneezes, and fatigue. Yes. That is my life right now.

Honi ana i ke anu i ka mea huʻihuʻi – She smells the cool and refreshing air (from the mele, He Inoa no Pauahi)

O ka Bea keokeo ke alii o na holoholona ma na aina anu – The polar bear is the king of animals in the cold lands (from He Mooolelo o na holoholona wawae cha).

He anu loa ka makani mamua o ka hau – The wind is colder than ice.
He oi aku ke anu o ka makani mamua o ka hau – The coldness of the wind surpasses that of ice. (from the First Book in Hawaiian)

nvi. To dream or fancy; fantasy; dream of a cherished wish, whether good or bad.

I wouldn’t say Martin Luther King, Jr., had a fantasy when he uttered his famous speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. But it was definitely a cherished wish. Moemoeā is the word used for a dream.

I tend to use moemoeā when referring to a good wish kind of dream (even though the definition above says “whether good or bad”). The word for nightmare is moe ʻino – bad sleep. Or moe hewa – wrong sleep.

Moemoeā, moe mālie i ka poli ē – Dream, sleep well in the bosom (name the tune!).

Ua nanea ka moemoeā – The dreaming was pleasant.

When the bait is not good, fish will not gather to eat it.

See the word palu? Palu is fish bait. Sometimes people use the word palu to refer to vomit (or to vomit), probably because it looks similar . But palu that is used for bait is skillfully made. It could consist of chopped up or pounded fish head or stomach or dried, mashed octopus liver. It is then used as chum to attract fish, in, say, fishing for ʻōpelu. Time is put into making palu. The better your palu, the more successful your holoholo (fishing) session. I think modern day fishermen use a variety of things, such as canned tuna and bread, for example.

This ʻōlelo noʻeau (wise saying) is in reference to knowing that goodness and graciousness always attract. One who is “not good” or ʻino, will not attract, just like the palu that has gone bad. ʻIno means bad, evil, and wicked. Things that are just not good. ʻIno can also refer to a storm, things that are spoiled or contaminated or harmed. So try not to be ʻino and definitely don’t be attracted to things or people who are!

Have a great long weekend!!!

To claim honors not rightfully due, to seek preferment, to aspire to the best or to more than is one’s due; to claim to be of higher rank than one is. 

 Oʻahu drivers know Piʻikoi Avenue in Honolulu. This street was probably named for the father of Prince Jonah Kūhiō and Prince David Kawānanakoa.  His name was David Kahalepōuli Piʻikoi.  David’s father, Jonah Piʻikoi, was the owner of a large section of the Kewalo area and built the first two story wooden house in that area near McKinley High School.

If you look in the Place Names of Hawaiʻi book, the translation for piʻikoi is “lofty aspirations,” but really it goes beyond that!  Just look at the meaning above:  to claim honors not rightfully due, to claim to be of higher rank than one is.  Do you know anyone who is piʻikoi in the way he/she acts?

Now some may think, well, it is always good to be piʻikoi, to be more than you are, to always strive for more.  But perhaps this word is a reflection of the Hawaiian social system, the practice that you are born with your status, your ranking, you had no opportunity to change class, so why bother…hmmm…

Mai piʻikoi ʻoe i ke akule lā – Don’t just prefer the akule fish (from the song “He ʻOno” by Bina Mossman).

Mai piʻikoi i ka ʻamaʻama- Don’t strive for the ʻamaʻama (this fish was very choice.  Be satisfied with what you have, why aim for the moon).

Copyright: 2015 – Liana Iaea Honda. All rights reserved. All versions of He Momi e Lei ai”, in its entirety, past and present, is the property of L. K. I. Honda. Reproduction and use of any kind other than the sharing of this website is prohibited. Alteration to the original content in any form is prohibited in every and any instance, and use in any other variant is prohibited without written consent of the author. Adress inquiries to: hemomi [at] gmail.com. Definitions and wise sayings are from: Hawaiian Dictionary by Pukui and Elbert, 1986. ʻŌlelo Noʻeau – Hawaiian Proverbs & Poetical Sayings by Mary Kawena Pukui, 1983.

nvt. Right, privilege, concern, responsibility, title, business, property, estate, portion, jurisdiction, authority, liability, interest, claim, ownership, tenure, affair, province; reason, cause, function, justification; small piece of property, as within an ahupuaʻa; blood relative through whom a relationship to less close relatives is traced, as to in-laws.

When you read historical records (land documents and such) you will see the word kuleana in reference to ownership of land.  Kuleana is a small section of land within a larger ahupuaʻa.  If you had kuleana to a certain piece of property that land was yours to claim if you filed the correct papers (way back in 1850).

In a greater context, however, you may find kuleana to be quite an interesting word in that it means both privilege and responsibility.  Think about it (stop, pause, think about it).  If you are afforded a certain privilege, or kuleana, you also accept a responsibility along with it.  It isn’t all about what you can do for me. It is more along the lines of because i have been given this privilege I need to somehow use it in a way that is beneficial to the larger whole, the greater good and not just myself.  Our aliʻi knew this. And that is why today we have trusts that were founded as a result of our aliʻi, such as the Queen Liliʻuokalani Children’s Center, Queen Kapiʻolani Hospital, Lunalilo Home and Kamehameha Schools.  But it’s not just reflective of those who have money or status. Many entertainers, both nationally and locally give freely of their talents.  Kumu hula and many in the field of education share their knowledge and expertise with others without asking anything in return. And the list goes on and on. People within our various communities and neighborhoods are always volunteering to kōkua in many different ways. Sharing the kuleana.

When we have kuleana as a privilege we accept kuleana as a responsibility. That’s what makes life in Hawaiʻi unique. Its not about me me me. It’s about us. We.  As the saying goes, “It’s a kākou thing.” We are not on this island alone.  And we certainly cannot survive here without the aloha of those around us and also trusting that the rest of the world will also mālama their kuleana and share their aloha. Aloha is, after all, a worldwide term.

How do YOU manage your kuleana?

E mālama i ka ʻōlelo, i kuleana e kipa mai ai – Remember the invitation, for it gives you the privilege of coming here (A person feels welcome when accepting an invitation and friendly promises.

Maʻewaʻewa i ka hale kuleana ʻole – One receives abuse in a house without a relative (Pitiful is the lot of one who dwells with those who do not care).

ʻO ke aloha ke kuleana o kahi malihini – Love is the host in strange lands (every passerby was greeted and offered food whether he was an acquaintance or a total stranger).

Copyright: 2015 – Liana Iaea Honda. All rights reserved. All versions of He Momi e Lei ai”, in its entirety, past and present, is the property of L. K. I. Honda. Reproduction and use of any kind other than the sharing of this website is prohibited. Alteration to the original content in any form is prohibited in every and any instance, and use in any other variant is prohibited without written consent of the author. Adress inquiries to: hemomi [at] gmail.com. Definitions and wise sayings are from: Hawaiian Dictionary by Pukui and Elbert, 1986. ʻŌlelo Noʻeau – Hawaiian Proverbs & Poetical Sayings by Mary Kawena Pukui, 1983.

1. nvt. To bite; to have a tendency to bite, as a dog; to sting, as beating rain; pain, as of stomachache or of childbirth; bite. hoʻo.nahu To bite, cause a stomachache; to pretend to bite.

Remember how I mentioned once (or twice) how my daily words are inspired by life events? Want to pause for a moment to guess what might have inspired today’s word, nahu?

While humans don’t typically go around biting one another, chances of you guessing correctly are high. Nahu ʻīlio. Dog bite. Fortunately, not a nahu action from ʻīlio (dog) to kanaka (human). Strictly ʻīlio to ʻīlio. Nahu. To bite; to have a tendency to bite, as a dog. I am going to have to remember that part. To have a tendency to bite. As a dog. Sometimes written as nanahu.

Braddah Bū

This cutie, Bū, got his big first lesson yesterday. That lesson? After so much nipping  the wagging tail of an old labrador retriever, you need to know there are limits. He knows now.

And now I know that small dogs are wimps. And as a big dog owner, I can say that hands down. Wimps. I thought he was dying. He acted like he was dying. Frantic calls to the vet, cuddling with him, wiping his bloody, snotty nose, he is slowly recovering from the nahu event. Oh, I am not saying it wasn’t a traumatic event, but Bū, MAN UP!

I jest. It was traumatic for me, too. And I am a wimp. I suffered as if I had been bitten. Nahu.

Did you notice that nahu is also the word used to describe the pain of a stomachache or childbirth? That biting action that happens inside. I can see the relationship.

Ua nahu ka ʻīlio nui i ka ʻīlio liʻiliʻi – The big dog bit the little dog.

Kekeʻe ka waha, nahu i ka makani – His mouth is wry after biting the wind (said of one who has found that what he said of others is true of himself).

Pua ka wiliwili, nanahu ka manō – When the wiliwili tree blooms, the sharks bite (TRUE STORY!).

Hoʻi nō a nanahu i kona alelo – He turns to bite his own tongue (said of one who criticizes others and later does just as they).

1. nvs. Dollar, silver, money, price, currency, means, funds; moneyed.

 The Hawaiian word for money, kālā, is transliterized from the English word, dollar. Makes sense that it would be so since kālā is a foreign introduction into Hawai‘i. In some older writings, kālā can be found written as dala. In fact, that’s how we still say it in Pidgin. You get dala?

The “mighty” kālā has continuously changed our way of life here from one of subsistence and self sufficiency, to that of a market economy, where a price has been put on everything. So having kālā is the name of the game, and the more the merrier, right?

Here are some sentences for you to use in your daily lives:

‘Ehia kālā? How much money? (How much is it?)

‘A‘ohe a‘u kālā. I don’t have any money.

He kālā kāu? Do you have money?

Copyright: 2015 – Liana Iaea Honda. All rights reserved. All versions of He Momi e Lei ai”, in its entirety, past and present, is the property of L. K. I. Honda. Reproduction and use of any kind other than the sharing of this website is prohibited. Alteration to the original content in any form is prohibited in every and any instance, and use in any other variant is prohibited without written consent of the author. Adress inquiries to: hemomi [at] gmail.com. Definitions and wise sayings are from: Hawaiian Dictionary by Pukui and Elbert, 1986. ʻŌlelo Noʻeau – Hawaiian Proverbs & Poetical Sayings by Mary Kawena Pukui, 1983.

To communicate

I am sure many of you have heard of hoʻoponopono. Literally hoʻoponopono means “to make right”. This is the Hawaiian way to restore and maintain peace within the extended ʻohana. One main objective of hoʻoponopono is to be proactive, to “nip problems in the bud”, so to speak. Although hoʻoponopono today generally occurs when there are issues that need to be addressed and problems that need to be solved (reactive rather than proactive), the general focus is on communicating , with the help of a mediator (usually a kupuna) to make sure that everyone is on the same wavelength, everyone is calm and everyone follows the rules of hoʻoponopono. It is the sharing of manaʻo, of information, of understandings so that no one feels out of the loop. Hoʻokaʻaʻike is the Hawaiian word (a new word to our Hawaiian vocabulary) which means “to communicate.” Literally, hoʻo– is a causative (making action of a verb), kaʻa means “transferred” (of course, there are other meanings to kaʻa, like car or to twist or roll) and ʻike is knowledge. In other words, “to cause knowledge to be transferred”. A roundabout way of saying “to communicate” but it describes the function, right?

The key to preventing many misunderstandings and problems is to hoʻokaʻaʻike. Communicate. Funny that the Hawaiian language doesn’t really have a traditional word for communication. If you look in the dictionary it will say launa ʻōlelo, which literally means socializing talk. Not quite the same. I suppose in the “old days” when communication consisted of actually having to talk to someone (no telephone, email, fax, etc.), more communication actually took place and Hawaiians also factored in body language (which sometimes speaks louder than words).

Distance, both physically and mentally, has put a damper on that face to face open communication. Reliance on other forms of getting information to others (rather than face to face) does not quite cut it.

Please tell me that I am not the only one suffering from lack of hoʻokaʻaʻike. And it is a two way street. I should hoʻokaʻaʻike better, at home and at work. Likewise, I wish that others (again, at home and at work) would hoʻokaʻaʻike better with me. It would prevent so many misunderstandings, assumptions (mostly incorrect ones), and it would probably make my home and work life run a lot smoother. Hoʻokaʻaʻike!

Copyright: 2015 – Liana Iaea Honda. All rights reserved. All versions of He Momi e Lei ai”, in its entirety, past and present, is the property of L. K. I. Honda. Reproduction and use of any kind other than the sharing of this website is prohibited. Alteration to the original content in any form is prohibited in every and any instance, and use in any other variant is prohibited without written consent of the author. Adress inquiries to: hemomi [at] gmail.com. Definitions and wise sayings are from: Hawaiian Dictionary by Pukui and Elbert, 1986. ʻŌlelo Noʻeau – Hawaiian Proverbs & Poetical Sayings by Mary Kawena Pukui, 1983.

n.v. Steadfast, firm, constant, immovable; loyal, faithful; determined; loyalty, allegiance, firmness.

It hasn’t been quite a week into the makahiki hou. Today’s He Momi, Kūpaʻa, should be a reminder to be firm and determined in your new year “evolutions”, whatever they may be.

Kūpaʻa can be considered a Hawaiian value by which to live your life. It is comprised of two words; Kū – to stand, and paʻa – firm. To stand firm. Immovable. This word is very similar to the motto of Kamehameha V and Queen Liliʻuokalani: ʻOnipaʻa, which means the same as kūpaʻa. Whereas kū means to stand, however, ʻoni means to move. ʻOnipaʻa – fixed movement. Two different words that mean the same thing.

Kūpaʻa ka manaʻo – Faithful in thought/settled in the mind.

Kūpaʻa kākou ma hope o ke aliʻi – We are loyal to the chief.

E kūpaʻa i mua o nā ʻenemi – Be determined before the enemy.

Ua kūpaʻa ʻoe i nā kuli e hemo ana (Job 4.4) – You have strengthened feeble knees.

1. vs. New, fresh, recent. Ka-puna-hou (place name), the new spring. (PPN foʻou.)

2. vs. Again, more, re- (as in hoʻoponopono hou, re-edit). Hana hou, do again, repeat; encore.

3. vt. To push, thrust, poke, stab, shove, prick, plunge, ram, jab, drill, bore, pierce, inject. See also houhou. Hou kui, injection needle. Ka hou ʻana o ka ihe (FS 55), the hurling of the spear. (PPN fohu.)

4. nvi. Perspiration, sweat; to perspire, sweat. (PCP (f,s)ou.)

5. n. Varieties of wrasse (Thalassoma) shallow-water fish, as T. purpureum. The following names have been recorded for the young stages of the hou: ʻāwela, kanaloa, ʻōlali, ʻōlani, pāhouhou, pākaiele, pākaueloa, palaeʻa, pāʻouʻou.

6. Same as pakaweli, a variety of sugar cane.

While hou has many meanings, we will focus on hou for new, as in Hauʻoli Makahiki Hou. Happy New Year. You may recognize hou in the popular phrase, hana hou – Do it again (as in an encore performance). In this way, it simply means “again”. All you have to do is put hou after a verb and it will mean “___ + again. Heluhelu hou – Read again. Hula hou – Hula again. Hīmeni hou – Sing again. I will put some useful sentences below for your language lesson of the day. Hopefully it will prove useful in your everyday life.

Though most common use of hou is for new or again, you may find a couple of the other translations useful. When you prick someone or something with a sharp object, like a pin, that is hou. And perspiration is also hou. This small word has many practical uses.

He makahiki hou kēīa – This is a new year.

(Just substitute words to get a whole new sentence)

He kaʻa hou kēia – This is a new car.

He ipo hou kēia – This is a new sweetheart.

Let’s try another usage:

E hoʻomaʻemaʻe hou – Clean [it] again.

E ʻōlelo hou – Say [it] again.

E ʻai hou – Eat again.

Pretty simple, huh?

Pulu ʻoe i ka hou – You are wet with perspiration.

Ua hou ʻia – It has been pierced.