Writeup Instructions: For this lab, you will take a MULTIPLE CHOICE QUIZ. In the Submit Labs area, simply click the appropriate lab quiz, follow instructions, and answer the 20 multiple choice questions. All quizzes will be somewhat different because questions are randomly selected from a large data base. You can repeat the quiz if you wish, I will keep the highest grade.
The quiz will cover straightforward vocabulary for the most part, but could also ask you to give the Hawaiian word for natural features in photos, or require some interpretation of Hawaiian words based on what you learned in earlier labs. I recommend you keep two browser windows open, one for the quiz and one for this page so you can look up definitions.
Purpose: This lab will acquaint students with some of the Hawaiian words related to the natural environment. The lesson will also help in understanding Hawaiian concepts of their natural surroundings and help to decode many of the local place and street names.
The early Hawaiians lived an intimate relationship with the natural environment and used many terms to describe it. The most basic climate division was seasonal, with kau being the period when the sun was most directly overhead and tradewinds were most reliable (approximately May through October) and ho'oilo the cooler period with more rainfall and more variable winds (approximately November through April). This is essentially identical to the modern climatological division into summer and winter weather for Hawai'i.
Clouds: The basic Hawaiian word for cloud is ao, but there are many cloud descriptions. The scattered, cotton-puff trade wind cumulus clouds are called aopua'a. Pua'a means pig, and thus a row of cumulus clouds reminded Hawaiians of a mother pig with a train of piglets following her. These clouds mean fair weather for the near future. A bank of these puffy clouds is called 'opua. Another formation is aopehupehu, with pehu meaning to swell up. When cumulus clouds swell up, or grow upward, it usually means rainfall. On 'Oahu, as these clouds grew against the mountains, the darkness at the base of the clouds was a clue to early Hawaiians to where the rain would fall. Higher, lighter bases often meant that most rain would fall on the leeward side of the Ko'olau crest, filling leeward streams, and darker lower bases meant more windward showers. Clouds are also named after colors, with 'ele'ele referring to a black cloud and ke'oke'o to a white cloud. A sheltering cloud is called ho'omalumalu and a threatening cloud, ho'oweliweli.
Sky: The word for sky is lani. Pauli means the sky in the sunset direction is very dark, and early Hawaiians believed it would forecast high surf, or kaiko'o. Darkness to the west suggests a migratory low and cold front heading for the Islands, which very well could generate higher surf for north and west shores. A completely overcast sky without wind is po'ipu. If the overcast sky was extremely dark, it was believed that Kulanihako'i (the source of thunder, lightening, and other severe weather) was present. Words for astronomical bodies in the sky include la (sun), mahina (moon), and hoku (star).
Rain: Ua is the generic term for rainfall, but there are many terms for precipitation. For example, 'awa refers to a cold mountain fog or mist. Ua ho'okina is a continuous rain, ua lanipili is a torrential rain, and kualau refers to rainfall over the open ocean. Local names were also given such as ua Kuahine , what is now commonly called Manoa mist, and ua lani ha'aha'a for rainfall in Hana, Maui. And of course, the sign of good fortune, the rainbow, is anuenue. The duration of rainfall could be judged by the accompanying weather: a long rain (ualoa) fell with very little wind, but if thunder, lightening, or even a rainbow were present, the rains would be short (uapoko). A red sunset, aka'ula, would foretell the cessation of rainfall. Uahea refers to a cold rain and hau is the term for ice and snow.
Wind: The general term for wind is makani, but once again, there are many, many wind words. Variable winds are makani polua and fair winds 'olu'olu. Trade winds have many names such as Moa'e, A'e, A'e Loa, Moa'e Lehua and Mao'e pehu. Strong north winds are Ho'olua. Local names include 'Alahonua (Hilo), Apa'apa'a (Kohala, Hawai'i), Alahou (Moloka'i), Kaua'ula (Lahaina), and 'Ahiu (Kahana, 'Oahu). Each district, or ahupua'a, was also associated with local wind names. The Winds of 'Oahu are described at KCC's Asia-Pacific Digital Library site.
Water: Wai means fresh water, or more generally, any liquid that is not seawater, and often refers to a stream. Ala refers to a path or road, and thus alawai means water path or canal. Puna means a fresh water spring. Kai is the term for seawater and also the near sea. Moana refers to the far sea, beyond the horizon. Kai holoa refers to a lagoon and a wave or surf is nalu.
Land: 'Aina refers to the land or earth. Hawaiians divided the land into districts called ahupua'a, which formed a thin wedge of land running from the ocean to the interior mountains. In this way, each district controlled a wide range of resources from the uka (mountains) where bird feathers and canoe trees could be collected, through the lowland kula (fields) where agriculture was concentrated, to the kai (near sea) where marine resources could be gathered. Ahupua'a were grouped into larger districts called moku, which also refers to individual islands.
Landforms: Hawaiian words for landforms include lua (pit or crater), lua pele (volcano or crater), mauna (mountain), kahakai (beach), lae (cape or promontory), pu'u (hill or peak), pali (cliff), awawa (valley), pohaku (rock or stone), pahoehoe (smooth lava), and a'a (rough lava)..
Direction: The visible sea is kai and makai means toward the sea. Mountains are uka and mauka means toward the mountains. The cardinal directions are recognized as 'akau (North), komohana (West), hikina (East), and hema (South).
Place Names: Many place and street names in Hawai'i include references to natural features, and generally include two or more Hawaiian words. Mauna (mountain) Kea (white), for example, refers to the frequent winter snow cap on Hawai'i's tallest mountain.The town of Pukalani (hole in the sky) on the leeward slopes of Hakeakala sits where a large wind eddy creates a frequent clear opening in the clouds. Wai'ale'ale on Kauai, one of the world's wettest spots, means "overflowing water." The most common adjectives are ka (the), loa (long), nui (large), iki (small), and 'ula (red). The common prefixes hana and hono refer to bays, for example Honolulu means "sheltered bay." Hale means "house."
References:
Piianaia, Abe (1993) Early Hawaiian Concepts of Weather and Climate, in Prevailing Trade Winds, Marie Sanderson, Ed., pages 7-11, UH Press, Honolulu, HI.
Pukui, M.K., and Elbert, S.H. (1992) New Pocket Hawaiian Dictionary, UH Press, Honolulu, HI, 256 pages.
Juvik, S.P., and Juvik, J.O., eds. (1998) Atlas of Hawaii, 3rd Ed., UH Press, Honolulu, HI, 333 pages.