Synopsis: The author offers some older Kaua‘i terms to be used in the revitalization of Hawaiian.

‘Ano‘ai nō kākou me ke aloha. ‘Auhea ‘oukou e nā ipo ‘ōahi o Nāpali, e nā keiki ‘alo‘alo kuāua o Hanalei, e ke kalukalu o Kēwā, e ka i‘a ho‘opā ‘ili o Waimea me nā ‘ōhiki haehae kapa o Waiolono, e ho‘olono mai — ‘o kā kākou ha‘awina kēia no ka ‘ōlelo Kaua‘i. Eia nō kahi keiki o ka malu o ke ao kukui lau nui o Kona e ho‘olaha aku nei i kekahi mau ‘ōlelo o ka ‘āina hemolele i ka mālie. ‘Oiai e ho‘ōla hou ‘ia nei ka ‘ōlelo Hawai‘i ā puni ka pae ‘āina, he mea maika‘i ke ki‘i kākou i nā ‘ōlelo kahiko o ko kākou mau mokupuni pono‘ī, e mālama nō, a e a‘o aku i ka hanauna hou, o pau loa auane‘i i ka nalowale.

Ma ka nūpepa kahiko au i ‘ike mua a‘e ai i kēia ‘ano ‘ōlelo a i ia manawa nō i ho‘oholo ai e ‘imi aku i kekahi mau ‘ōlelo hou aku no ka mea, he maika‘i nō ke ‘ike ‘ia ke kanaka ma kāna ‘ōlelo, e la‘a ke kapa ‘ana a ka po‘e Maui i ka hō‘i‘o he pohole ā hiki i kēia lā. Pehea lā kā ke Kaua‘i? Aia ā ‘imi aku. No laila, ua ‘imi akula au i kekahi mau hua‘ōlelo i hō‘ike ‘ia he Kaua‘i ma ka puke wehewehe a Pukui, pēia pū me kekahi mau hua‘ōlelo a Fornander i ho‘olako ai ma kāna puke, a ‘o kekahi, he mea i lohe ‘ia ma kekahi līpine ma ka papahana lekiō ‘o Ka Leo Hawai‘i.

Aia ma lalo iho nei he mau ‘ōlelo Kaua‘i. E wehewehe ‘ia ko lākou mana‘o a e hō‘ike ‘ia ho‘i ka ho‘opuka ‘ana a ka po‘e mānaleo i kēia mau ‘ōlelo no ka mea, he keiki ‘ōlelo kualua au e a‘o mai nei i ka ‘ōlelo o ka ‘āina, ‘a‘ole nō e lawa ka ho‘omaopopo ‘ana iho i ka hua‘ōlelo ma ka puke wehewehe wale nō, e aho nō ka māmala‘ōlelo.

‘Āhē – ‘O ka ‘āhē, ‘o ia nō kekahi kalo ulu wale o ke kuahiwi i kapa ‘ia he ‘āweu a he ‘āweuweu paha, a he manauea a mā‘auea paha i kekahi ‘ōlelo ‘ana. He kalo māne‘one‘o kēia ke ‘ai aku. Eia kekahi mo‘olelo a Edward Kanoho, no Līhu‘e, Kaua‘i, ma Ka Leo Hawai‘i i ka lā ‘ekolu o ‘Apelila, 1977: “A kekahi manawa nō ho‘i, makemake ku‘u pāpā e hele e ki‘i ‘āhē.” A ho‘ākāka akula ‘o Kanoho, “He ‘ano kalo kēlā, no ke kuahiwi.” Hō‘ike nō ho‘i ‘o Pukui he hua‘ōlelo Kaua‘i kēia.

Kūo‘e lāua ‘o Kupa‘eli – Penei mai ‘o Ho‘oulumāhiehie ma ka mo‘olelo ‘o Hi‘iakaikapoliopele; “Ua olelo ia o kuo’e ka huaolelo kahiko loa a na kanaka o Kauai no ka huaolelo hele a hoi hou mai paha.” Ho‘ohenehene akula ‘o Pele iā Lohi‘au “…no ke kupaeli maoli no o kau kuo’e ana.” Wehewehe ka mea kākau, ma ke ‘ano like me kā Pukui, he hua‘ōlelo Kaua‘i ‘o “kupa‘eli” no ka lohi. Aia kēia mau ‘ōlelo ma loko o ka nūpepa ‘o Ka Na‘i Aupuni, i ka lā 13 o Iune, 1906.

Kūpopou – ‘O ke kūpopou, ‘o ia ka iho ‘ana, e like paha me ko ke kanaka iho ‘ana mai uka i kai. ‘A‘ole kēia i helu ‘ia he hua‘ōlelo Kaua‘i e Pukui, akā he helu ‘ia nō ma kā Fornander me ka mana‘o, “iho mai.” Eia kekahi ho‘opuka ‘ana ma ka Mo‘olelo ‘Ōnini Pu‘uwai no Kamaakamahi‘ai: “E na kanaka paakiki o Kauai nei la e! E kupopou aku oukou a hapai i na kaulua o na ’lii o Oahu a kau i kula nei, a hapai loa mai no a hoea i ka hale nei.” ‘O ke kauoha kēia a Manouli, ke ali‘i o Kaua‘i, i kona po‘e kānaka, aia ma Ke Aloha ‘Āina, i ka lā 18 o Iune 1910.

Nōpili – He nui nā ‘ano ‘o‘opu o Hawai‘i nei, ‘o ka nāpili kekahi, he nōpili ia i ko Kaua‘i po‘e, a he ‘unuloa ho‘i, wahi a Pukui. Eia kekahi ho‘opuka ‘ana: “… e hoouna aku oe ia Kaelele ko kukini mama iuka o Wainiha, i na oopu Nopili ai lehua, ke moe mai la ua piha i ka momona, ua pu-ia pu me ke ala i ka ua mea o ka ai i ka liko o ka pua lehua…” No loko mai kēia o kekahi mo‘olelo ka‘ao no Nāmakaokapāo‘o, ma ka Nūpepa Kū‘oko‘a i ka lā 9 o Malaki, 1917.

No laila e nā Kaua‘i a me nā kānaka āpau e ho‘oheno nei i ka ‘ōlelo makuahine, e ho‘opa‘a nō kākou i kēia mau hua‘ōlelo nei me ka mana‘o e mālama ā mau loa a‘e!