What is the hawaiian word for "happiness"

smithpaul60

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I need to name my Ukulele and thought this would be fitting.

:shaka:
 
and if you type in words similar to ukulele, the page will turn up blank, refering to how much the ukulele owns everything else in existance.
 
No fo'get da 'okina (the invisible consonant) between da "u" and "o" so Hau'oli actually a 7 letter word with guttural stop between hau, and oli.
Please don't confuse with "haole" which means "without breath". :shaka:
 
Wish they had Hawaiian Language 101 in a college somewhere. I'd totally go.. Such a beautiful sounding language.
 
Wish they had Hawaiian Language 101 in a college somewhere. I'd totally go.. Such a beautiful sounding language.

+1. I minored in Spanish, but EVERYBODY speaks Spanish. Hawaiian would have been awesome. I wish it were available.
 
No fo'get da 'okina (the invisible consonant) between da "u" and "o" so Hau'oli actually a 7 letter word with guttural stop between hau, and oli.
Please don't confuse with "haole" which means "without breath". :shaka:

OK...so why are "white people" called haoles? :confused:
 
OK...so why are "white people" called haoles? :confused:

Europeans were the first non Polynesians encountered by Hawaiians.
Three theories I know of on origins of the word haole.

1. White skin of Europeans made them look like dead people, those without breath.
I don't believe this because not all Europeans have "toilet bowl" complexions some can tan rather well. Many crewmen after months, even years at sea had dark tans.

2. Hawaiians did not have a written language pre-contact but they had a rich oral tradition memorizing history, genealogy, mythology, etc. where as Europeans having a written language did not have a need for oral traditions so could not recite their family history from memory like Hawaiians could. No breath in the sense of no oral tradition.
Somehow I don't believe this is accurate either as not all Hawaiians especially commoners of lower caste payed as much importance on oral traditions.

3. Traditional Polynesian greeting was the exchanging of 'ha" or breath. You approach the person you greet and while facing each other you put your hands on each other's shoulder while making contact with forehead and nose and at the same time let out a deep exhale thus exchanging breath or "ha". To Europeans who were used to shaking hands this form of greeting was not practiced thus no exchange of breath or ha-ole. The term haole stuck with the first non Polynesian arrivals (Europeans including Americans) and when Chinese, African Americans, Mexicans, Japanese, etc immigrants arrived afterwards they received their own unique labels. Haole- without or no breath or those that do not exchange breath.
In my opinion this explanation the most likely. :)
 
Europeans were the first non Polynesians encountered by Hawaiians.
Three theories I know of on origins of the word haole.

1. White skin of Europeans made them look like dead people, those without breath.
I don't believe this because not all Europeans have "toilet bowl" complexions some can tan rather well. Many crewmen after months, even years at sea had dark tans.

2. Hawaiians did not have a written language pre-contact but they had a rich oral tradition memorizing history, genealogy, mythology, etc. where as Europeans having a written language did not have a need for oral traditions so could not recite their family history from memory like Hawaiians could. No breath in the sense of no oral tradition.
Somehow I don't believe this is accurate either as not all Hawaiians especially commoners of lower caste payed as much importance on oral traditions.

3. Traditional Polynesian greeting was the exchanging of 'ha" or breath. You approach the person you greet and while facing each other you put your hands on each other's shoulder while making contact with forehead and nose and at the same time let out a deep exhale thus exchanging breath or "ha". To Europeans who were used to shaking hands this form of greeting was not practiced thus no exchange of breath or ha-ole. The term haole stuck with the first non Polynesian arrivals (Europeans including Americans) and when Chinese, African Americans, Mexicans, Japanese, etc immigrants arrived afterwards they received their own unique labels. Haole- without or no breath or those that do not exchange breath.
In my opinion this explanation the most likely. :)

COOL! Thanks for the explanation. Somehow I thought it would be more insulting than the way some seem to make it out to be. "Unique labels"...I'd LOVE to hear those some time lol.
 
Fender actually uses the name Hau'oli for their laminate-mahogany tenor uke.



I didn't even know about the second and third possible origins for the word "haole", Ahnko! Just thought "haole" was an interesting word because it's used in so many different contexts by different people. I've heard it explained as:

-All white people with European heritage
-All mainlanders (even non-whites)
-Anyone who isn't Hawaiian (so it would include Japanese)
-Really goofy tourists (families who walk through Waikiki wearing matching aloha wear from a gift shop and cover themselves with a gallon of sunscreen)
-Disrespectful tourists (people in rented Chryslers who don't make an attempt to understand one-lane-bridge etiquette)
-Any combination of these

I've also heard it used affectionately, neutrally, or insultingly all in the same day. Strange how it works. :eek:
 
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-Really goofy tourists (families who walk through Waikiki wearing matching aloha wear from a gift shop and cover themselves with a gallon of sunscreen)

wow people in Hawaii really do remember me? I've must have made quite the impression!

Jokes, I've never actually been to Hawaii although today I did put my very first 10 swiss franks in my Hawaiian ukulele pilgrimage piggy bank. Give me 20 more years and Aloha Hawaii!!! I'll leave the sandal and white socks look at home I promise.

Great idea for a uke name by the way.
 
I didn't even know about the second and third possible origins for the word "haole", Ahnko! Just thought "haole" was an interesting word because it's used in so many different contexts by different people. I've heard it explained as:

-All white people with European heritage
-All mainlanders (even non-whites)
-Anyone who isn't Hawaiian (so it would include Japanese)
-Really goofy tourists (families who walk through Waikiki wearing matching aloha wear from a gift shop and cover themselves with a gallon of sunscreen)
-Disrespectful tourists (people in rented Chryslers who don't make an attempt to understand one-lane-bridge etiquette)
-Any combination of these

I've also heard it used affectionately, neutrally, or insultingly all in the same day. Strange how it works. :eek:

Haole has taken on the meaning of anything not maoli or native thus many introduced species of trees which have a similar native species for example Haole Koa, Haole Kamani, Haole Kou, etc. to differentiate from the native variety. Haole is not restricted to just Mainland whites, you can be a kama'aina (of the land) haole as well as a malihini haole. Haole does not mean foreigner as many think, and I have never heard a Japanese (Kepani), Chinese (Pake), or black (Popolo, Pa'ele) person referred to as a haole.
Haole can be used like any other word in a derogatory, neutral descriptive, and even said with pride. My father was mostly Haole (Scottish decent 3/4 I think) and I proudly say I'm hapa haole (part white) my Dad being the very best human being I have ever had the privilege of knowing whom I loved dearly, and miss beyond words. Allot of the local music from the 1920s-40s was referred to as "hapa haole" influence by the 2 predominant cultures.
 
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