Synopsis: “Haole” is a Hawaiian word the definition and appropriate usage of which should not be co-opted but defined instead within Hawaiian contexts.

Aloha mai nō kākou e nā hoa heluhelu e kūpa’a nei ma hope o ka pono o ka ‘ōlelo Hawai’i. Ua ola nō kā kākou ‘ōlelo makuahine i loko nō o kona ho’oma’au wale ‘ia e kahi ‘ōlelo kala’ihi e kapa ‘ia nei ‘o ka namu haole.

I loko o nā makahiki he nui i ka’ahope a’e nei, nani wale ka nui o ka ho’opa’apa’a ‘ana e lohe ‘ia ana mai kēlā kū’ono a kēia kū’ono o ko kākou pae’āina nei no ka ho’okumu ‘ia ‘ana o ua hua’ōlelo nei, ‘o “haole.”

Eia nō i kēia mau lā a kākou e lohe nei, he mau kānaka e kālai nei i ia hua ma nā ‘āpana ‘elua, ‘o ia ho’i, ‘o “hā” a me “’ole.” ‘O ka mana’o nui e hāpai ‘ia nei, he mea ia i nele i ka hā ‘ole.

‘O kekahi wehewehe ‘ana a’u i lohe ai, penei ho’i: ‘o ka po’e haole i hiki mua mai i ‘ane’i, ‘a’ohe o lākou honi ihu ‘ana e like me ka mea ma’a mau i ka po’e Polenekia.

‘O ia ho’i, ‘a’ohe wahi hā’awi aku a hā’awi mai i ka hā, a ‘o ia ihola ke kumu. He ‘ōlelo lolelua nō na’e ia o ka mana’o, no ka mea, inā he kanaka ia i nele i ka hā ‘ole, ua nele nō kā paha i ke ola ‘ole, he kupapa’u paha a he ‘uhane paha. Ina ho’i pēlā, he kumu ‘i’o nō paha ia e ‘eha ai ka haole.

No’u iho na’e, ‘a’ole au puni i ia mana’o. Ua ‘ike ‘ia i nā mo’olelo kahiko ko Kamapua’a kapa ‘ia ‘ana i ka haole. ‘A’ole i maopopo ia’u no kona honi a honi ‘ole paha, eia na’e, he mea ola ‘o ia a ua hiki nō ho’i iā ia ke hanu. Eia hou, ma ka nānā ‘ana i kekahi mau ‘ōlelo Polinekia, ma nā mokupuni Marquesan ho’i, aia ka hua’ōlelo “’ao’e” e ho’ohana ‘ia ana no ka po’e o waho mai a ua hiki ke ‘ike ‘ia kona pilina i ka hua ‘ōlelo “haole”.

A eia hou kekahi kumu, aia ma nā lola i pa’a ai nā leo o nā kūpuna, ‘a’ohe lohe ‘ia o ka hua’ōlelo haole e puana ‘ia ana me ka ‘okina a me ke kahakō. ‘A’ole na’e e hihi. ‘O ka mana’o i kēia mau lā ka’u o ke kākau ‘ana i kēia kolamu.

‘Ekolu pule aku nei, nui ka ho’ohalahala ma nā nūpepa no ka ho’owahawaha a ka luna maka’āinana Faye Hanohano i kahi haole ma ka ‘aha’ōlelo. ‘A’ohe o’u mana’o kūpale i ke ‘ano o kā ia ala hana, eia na’e, ma ia hope mai, ua hāpai ‘ia ka mana’o no ke ‘ano kūamuamu a kūpono ‘ole ho’i o kahi hua’ōlelo āna i ho’opuka ai, ‘o ia nō ‘o “haole.”

Kā, ‘eā, ‘a’ole au kāko’o i ia mana’o. He hua’ōlelo Hawai’i kahiko nō ia i lawe kahiki ‘ia e ka namu haole i ka wā i kū ai ka namu haole i ka moku.

Ua ‘ano maha’oi ka ho’okolonaio ‘ia ‘ana o ko kākou ‘āina, a oki loa ho’i ka ho’okolonaio ‘ia o kā kākou ‘ōlelo. ‘Eā, inā ‘eha ko’u na’au i ka lohe aku i kahi hua haole, ‘a’ohe o’u pāpā aku i ka po’e haole ‘a’ole e ho’opuka i kā lākou ‘ōlelo.

I loko o nā makahiki i hala a’e nei, nui ka ho’ololi ‘ana o ka po’e haole i kā lākou ‘ōlelo no ka mea, ua ‘ike ahuwale ‘ia ma loko o ia ‘ōlelo kā lākou hana ‘ino ‘ana a ho’olu’ulu’u ‘ana ho’i kekahi i kekahi. No’u iho, ‘a’ohe o’u puni i kā lākou noho kumu ho’ohālike no kākou.

No’u iho, he haole au, he Pākē, he Pukikī, a he Hawai’i ho’i. ‘A’ohe o’u ‘eha i ke kapa ‘ia mai pēlā.

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E ho ‘ouna ‘ia mai na ā leka iā māua, ‘o ia ho‘i ‘o Laiana Wong a me Kekeha Solis ma ka pahu leka uila ma lalo nei:

>> kwong@hawaii.edu

>> rsolis@hawaii.edu

a i ‘ole ia, ma ke kelepona:

>> 956-2627 (Laiana)

>> 956-2627 (Kekeha)

This column is coordinated by Kawaihuelani Center for Hawaiian Language at the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa.