Synopsis: The use of English glosses to explicate indigenous words in academic writing denigrates indigenous languages.

Aloha mai kākou e nā hoa heluhelu. Eia mai nō kā ‘oukou wahi mea kākau ke hāpai hou nei i kēia nīnau paio nui ‘ia no ka unuhi. Ua hō’ike ‘ē ‘ia ko’u kū’ē i ka unuhi ma loko o kekahi mau kolamu. ‘A’ole na’e e hihi. ‘O ka’u e hāpai nei ma kēia hō’ike, ua pili i ka unuhi ‘ana i nā mana’o haole mai loko mai o nā hua’ōlelo ‘ōiwi i kākau ‘ia ma nā palapala noi’i a ka po’e ‘imi na’auao o ka honua nei.

Eia aku nō a eia mai ma ko’u heluhelu ‘ana i kahi pepa noi’i, ‘ike ‘ia kekahi mau hua’ōlelo ‘ōiwi i ho’okomo ‘ia e ka mea kākau no ka wehewehe ‘ana i kona kūkulu mana’o ‘ana. Mahalo ke kākau ‘ia ‘ana o nā pepa noi’i e pili ana i nā mea ‘ōiwi a mahalo ho’i ka ho’okomo ‘ia o nā hua’ōlelo ‘ōiwi. He ma’ū nō ia i ka ‘ole. Aia na’e ka ‘oi loa ma ke kākau ‘ana i nā pepa noi’i no nā mea ‘ōiwi ma loko o nā ‘ōlelo ‘ōiwi. ‘A’ole na’e e lawa nā hui pa’i puke nāna e pa’i nā pepa noi’i ma nā ‘ōlelo ‘ōiwi, no ka mea, ‘a’ole lawa ka po’e hiki ke heluhelu nāna e kū’ai i ua mau puke nei. Nui ‘ino nā pepa noi’i no nā ‘ike ‘ōiwi i pa’i ‘ia ma ka ‘ōlelo haole a kāka’ikahi wale nō nā pepa i pa’i ‘ia ma nā ‘ōlelo ‘ōiwi. A no ka manawa, e mahalo au i ka mea loa’a.

‘O ka mea ‘āpiki, a ‘o ka’u nō ho’i e kū’ē nei i nā pepa noi’i i kākau ‘ia ma ka ‘ōlelo haole, ‘o ia ke komo ‘ana o kahi hua’ōlelo haole no ka wehewehe ‘ana i ka mana’o o kekahi hua’ōlelo ‘ōiwi. No ke aha lā e kākau ‘ia ai ka hua’ōlelo ‘ōiwi? Inā ‘o ka ‘ōlelo haole wale nō ka mea e mōakāka ai, he makehewa ke kākau ‘ana i ka hua’ōlelo ‘ōiwi. E aho ke waiho ‘ia ma ka ‘ōlelo haole wale nō. He ho’oha’aha’a ka hopena ke wehewehe ‘ia nā ‘ōlelo ‘ōiwi ma o ka ‘ōlelo nāna lākou i pepehi.

Nui ‘ino nā hua’ōlelo o nā ‘ōlelo like ‘ole i ‘ike ‘ia ma loko o nā pepa noi’i i kākau ‘ia ma ka ‘ōlelo haole. Ua ‘ike au i nā hua’ōlelo Kelemānia, Palani, Lātina, Helene, a pēlā aku. A i loko nō o ka pohihihi o ia mau ‘ōlelo ‘ana a hiki ‘ole ia’u ke ho’omaopopo, ‘a’ohe wahi unuhi e akāka ai. Me he mea lā, he mau ‘ōlelo loa’a wale o ka mana’o i nā kānaka a pau o ka honua nei a ‘o ka hūpō wale nō ke ‘ike ‘ole. ‘O ka ‘oia’i’o, ‘a’ole paha e like a like ka mana’o me ka unuhina ma kekahi ‘ōlelo a he kūpono kona waiho ‘ia me ia nō.

No ka po’e e paio nei no ka pono o nā ‘ōlelo ‘ōiwi, ‘a’ole nō e pū’iwa. Nui hou aku nā mea e kaulike ‘ole ai nā ‘ōlelo ‘ōiwi me ka ‘ōlelo haole. ‘A’ohe wahi ‘ike ‘ia o ka hua’ōlelo haole e wehewehe ‘ia ana ma o ka ‘ōlelo ‘ōiwi. No ka ‘ōlelo Hawai’i ho’i, i loko nō o kona kūlana he ‘ōlelo kūhelu no ka Moku’āina ‘o Hawai’i, i kēia wā a kākou e noho nei, ‘a’ole nō e ‘ae ‘ia ma nā wahi a pau. A no laila, e nā mea e kākau ana i nā pepa noi’i me ka ho’ohana pū ‘ana i nā hua’ōlelo ‘ōiwi, ‘o ko kākou chance kēia e ho’ohanohano ai i kā kākou mau ‘ōlelo. Mai nō a unuhi mai i ka ‘ōlelo haole. He haumia ka hopena.

E ho’ouna ‘ia mai nā 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)
» 956-2624 (Kekeha)
This column is coordinated by the Hawaiian Language Department at the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa, supported by the Initiative for Achieving Native Hawaiian Academic Excellence.