Hawaiian

Hawaiian is a Polynesian language that is native to the Hawaiian Islands. It is the co-official language of the state of Hawaii, along with English. The Hawaiian language is notable for its small phonemic inventory and its use of the glottal stop as a consonant, which is represented by the okina in writing.

History

The Hawaiian language is a member of the Polynesian branch of the Austronesian languages. It was brought to the Hawaiian Islands by Polynesian settlers, possibly from the Marquesas Islands, around 1,500 years ago. The language evolved in isolation for many centuries, developing unique features not found in other Polynesian languages.

In the 19th century, the Hawaiian language was the primary language of the Hawaiian Islands. However, with the arrival of English-speaking settlers and the imposition of English as the language of education and government, the use of Hawaiian declined dramatically. By the mid-20th century, the language was nearly extinct, with only a few elderly speakers remaining.

In recent decades, there has been a revival of the Hawaiian language, with increased interest in Hawaiian culture and the establishment of Hawaiian language immersion schools. Today, there are thousands of people who speak Hawaiian as a second language, and a small but growing number of native speakers.

Phonology

Hawaiian has a small phonemic inventory, with only 13 phonemes: eight consonants and five vowels. The consonants are /p, k, ʔ, h, m, n, l, w/, and the vowels are /a, e, i, o, u/. The glottal stop, represented by the okina, is considered a consonant in Hawaiian.

Grammar

Hawaiian is a verb-subject-object language, which is relatively rare among the world's languages. It also has a complex system of tenses, moods, and aspects, and uses prepositions rather than case marking to indicate grammatical relationships.

Vocabulary

The Hawaiian language has a rich vocabulary, with many words for natural phenomena, plants, animals, and cultural practices. Many Hawaiian words have been borrowed into English, such as aloha, hula, and ukulele.

See also

• Hawaiian alphabet
• Hawaiian Pidgin
• Hawaiian language revival

References

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