Week 8 2/27
Introduction
For hundreds of years, Hawaiian was the only language heard in the islands. Until the late 19th century, this was still the case with very few exceptions. Hawaiian was the national language of the Kingdom of the Hawaiian Islands. All business, government and education was conducted in Hawaiian. Visitors from other nations readily learned Hawaiian in order to communicate for various purposes. Even the American missionaries, and later their counterparts from other nations, learned Hawaiian in order to preach Christianity and literacy. English was heard only amongst the small population of British and American officials and residents and between American missionaries in their own community.
In 1839, Amos and Julliette Cooke, American missionaries, founded the Chief's Children's School. The royal children were educated there using an American-English curriculum. As a result the future leadership learned English as their second language. The government widely encouraged learning English as a second language. Today, Royal Elementary School sits on the second site of the Chief's Children's School.
However, towards the end of the 19th century English established a foothold as a language of government and high-office. A political insurrection that led to the dethroning of Queen Liliʻuokalani by annexationists also opened the door for English to become Hawaiʻi's dominant language. Soon after removing the Queen from power, the legislature of the new "Republic" of Hawaiʻi banned the use of Hawaiian in the public school system in favor of English - every school had to switch to an English curriculum or risk loss of funding. As a result, the number of Hawaiian speakers plummeted. This week, we will look at the origins of English and its rise to become the dominant language in Hawai'i as well as the birth of a new language - Hawaiʻi Creole.
During Hawaiʻi's territorial years, Hawaiʻi pidgin arose between the various nationalities brought as contract laborers to work on sugar plantations. Also known as Hawaiʻi Creole English, this new language continues to be prominent in local communities.
For hundreds of years, Hawaiian was the only language heard in the islands. Until the late 19th century, this was still the case with very few exceptions. Hawaiian was the national language of the Kingdom of the Hawaiian Islands. All business, government and education was conducted in Hawaiian. Visitors from other nations readily learned Hawaiian in order to communicate for various purposes. Even the American missionaries, and later their counterparts from other nations, learned Hawaiian in order to preach Christianity and literacy. English was heard only amongst the small population of British and American officials and residents and between American missionaries in their own community.
In 1839, Amos and Julliette Cooke, American missionaries, founded the Chief's Children's School. The royal children were educated there using an American-English curriculum. As a result the future leadership learned English as their second language. The government widely encouraged learning English as a second language. Today, Royal Elementary School sits on the second site of the Chief's Children's School.
However, towards the end of the 19th century English established a foothold as a language of government and high-office. A political insurrection that led to the dethroning of Queen Liliʻuokalani by annexationists also opened the door for English to become Hawaiʻi's dominant language. Soon after removing the Queen from power, the legislature of the new "Republic" of Hawaiʻi banned the use of Hawaiian in the public school system in favor of English - every school had to switch to an English curriculum or risk loss of funding. As a result, the number of Hawaiian speakers plummeted. This week, we will look at the origins of English and its rise to become the dominant language in Hawai'i as well as the birth of a new language - Hawaiʻi Creole.
During Hawaiʻi's territorial years, Hawaiʻi pidgin arose between the various nationalities brought as contract laborers to work on sugar plantations. Also known as Hawaiʻi Creole English, this new language continues to be prominent in local communities.
ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi, Pidgin, and Hawaiian Creole English
A pidgin is a language of necessity to facilitate communication between speakers of different languages in the same area. Watch the video below to learn more about the nature of pidgins and creoles as well as about different pidgins and creoles around the world. During Hawaiʻi's territorial years, Hawaiʻi pidgin arose between the various nationalities brought as contract laborers to work on sugar plantations. Below is an example of Hawai'i Creole English from the plantations, see if you can follow the conversation. (Hawaiʻi Creole English dialogue between a Tūtū and a Baban, circa 1950s) Tūtū Māmā, you Puʻuwaʻaʻwaʻa mamua stopu. Me all time look see you on top wagon go Haina hale. Nani hanahana ka? Baban Me hale makeku clean, clothes washu, kaukau hanahana, ol same any kind me hanahana. Haina mā hale too muchi nice. No ol same now. Tūtū Pololei you speak me. Me too muchi minamina. Mamua pua any kind aru. Boss man, hanahana man guru keep. Baban Ah, bumbai me Waimea come. Kāne male. Pēpē too muchi keepu. You ol same pah? Tūtū Pēpē too muchi aru. Māmā ʻōpiopio, Pāpā ʻōpiopio, pēpē too muchi hanahana. Ol same now too muchi moʻopuna aru. Baban Ah now me buta keep. Kaukau any kind aru. Honohono, pipinola kaukau me hanahana. Bumbai Kahaipuna him laho bring buta nui aru. You like keiki, me makana you? Tūtū Me no like. You keep. Bumbai laulau, kālua hanahana. Baban Me no like līlī time. Too muchi pilikia. All time pā him hemo outside come. Lepo any kind him make. Me mahiʻai too muchi pohō. Tūtū Māmā, you nui hanahana no guru. Hoʻomaha mo beta. Baban Ah, bumbai mākule more fastu come. Wāwae lōlō ol same. Me hale inside stop no can. Outside ho hana more beta. Tūtu Ah, Māmā, you mākule me mākule ol same. You look see me. Me look see you. Kamaliʻi come. Kamaliʻi go. Bumbai mākule come, like pū. Aloha nō. Activities
Due Dates
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Lessons in Pidgin
A short clip from the film, "Pidgin: The Voice of Hawaiʻi" by PBS. A video about modern Hawaiian Creole English
Pidgenology from Oiwi TV on Vimeo. Description of "Brah! Moke Action in Action"
Two guys like scrap until aunty scold dem. Translation - When an unfortunate accident occurs, two young men are about to break into fisticuffs, but out of respect for their elder, they subside their differences and make amends. Comments from the director ʻĀina Paikai: This film was shot on Halloween day in 2009 as part of the Student Media Art (SMART) Exchange between the University of Hawaiʻi’s Academy for Creative Media and the Shanghai University’s School of Film and Television. The SMART Exchange, sponsored in part by the Ito En Foundation, is an effort to use media as a way to bridge cultures. Moke Action is one of two films that were produced that weekend. You can imagine the amount of chaos and confusion through the language barriers, but it was a fun time that produced great results. Warning: Adult Language |