The Fascinating, Real Definition of Hawai‘i, Aloha, and Haole
- thereseholland
- Nov 8, 2015
- 3 min read
What does Hawai‘i mean?
You can hear a lot of explanations for the meaning of the word Hawai‘i.The most interesting one I've heard explains not only the name’s meaning, but also a little bit about traditional Hawaiian culture.
In the Hawaiian language, ha means breath, wai means water, and ‘i means of. So, Hawai‘i means “breath of water”.
This is actually fascinating because in the old days, or in modern times with what’s been called the Hawaiian cultural renaissance, folks greet each other by sharing breath (similarly to Maori tradtional greetings in New Zealand). The concept of breath was (and is) very important to traditional Hawaiian culture!
The importance of ha, or breath, is demonstrated in other Hawaiian words as well.
What does aloha mean?
Take aloha for example. The word can be used to mean "hello", "goodbye", and "love". But do you know what the literal translation is?
Well, alo means presence and ha, as you know now, means breath. So aloha = presence of breath.
Again, you can see the importance of breath demonstrated in the words. Think about it, we already know the idea that breath is important, and that some greet each other by sharing breath. Therefore, saying aloha, or presence of breath, confirms this understanding of sharing breath. Additionally, as we’ve concluded that breath is important to the culture, it makes sense that it would be synonymous with love.
And it goes on…
What does haole mean?
Some of you may be familiar with the word haole (pronounced: howlee). The iconic scene from the movie Blue Crush revealed this sometimes negative word to many people on the mainland.
But if you haven't heard it, this word is commonly used nowadays to refer to a white person. While Hawai‘i does have a complicated racial tension, the term haole isn’t necessarily derogatory.
I’d actually say it’s just an adjective. I am haole, and while in Hawaii, I describe other white people as haole, if I simply want to explain that what someone looks like. It’s not a big deal. I'd easily, and without thought, say something like, "Leilani dates a haole guy named Steve who paddles in the harbor every Sunday. You know him?" It's not weird or offensive if I say it, nor if anyone else (no matter their race) says it, either. Also, it's hilarious that my go-to white guy name is Steve. No idea why. Anyway...
Of course haole can be used negatively. For example, to express annoyance with something a white person does, like, “f*ckin’ haole!” But it’s so much more commonly not used like that.
In the past, haole meant “foreigner”, and could have been used to describe the numerous people who migrated to Hawai‘i, including but not limited to: Chinese, Puerto Ricans, Portuguese, Filipinos, and of course, white missionaries and business people (all of whom were some of the largest groups to migrate to Hawai‘i both in the past and even today).
So what does haole actually mean?
We already know that ha means breath, so now I will tell you that ole means without. So, haole means (person) without breath.
Why is this incredible? Because of the breath-sharing greeting I described. Haoles, or foreigners to Hawai‘i, would not have known it was culturally expected to do this greeting! Therefore, they were "without breath", or we can even say, they were without the "breath of water"(Hawai‘i), because haoles are by definition not Hawaiian (or any other Polonesian group that practices this type of greeting).
Make sense?
Isn’t it fascinating how a language can reveal so much about the culture and history of the people who speak it?
So here’s what to take away from this lengthy fun fact:
Hawai‘i means breath of water.
Aloha means presence of breath.
Haole means (person) without breath, and isn’t a derogatory word.
I’d like to note that most of this information was shared to me by a kumu, or Hawaiian teacher. I do not have publications to cite my sources, however I am confident in the kumu’s explanation.
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