How do you pronounce KALA?

Thumper

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Sorry for the dumb question, but I just bought a Kala concert thinline travel ukulele (which I LOVE), and I realized I don't know whether I just bought something that is pronounced KAY-la or KAH-la.

Anybody? Bueller?
 
Pretty sure it is KAH-la.
 
Yes, it would be KAH-la in Hawai'ian, no? And isn't kala (or pua kala) a kind of poppy flower?
 
From Kala's website (http://www.kalaukulele.com/aboutus.html):

"Hawaiian Definitions of the word KALA (pronounced Kah' la)
1. v. to free, loosen, unburden, absolve, to forgive, a prayer to free someone from any evil influence.
2. nvs. Dollar, silver, money, cash, currency.
3. n. Surgeonfish, Unicorn fish
4. (Ono) Brand of Ukulele!!!"
 
I hope someone will correct me if I'm wrong, but Hawaiian vowels are uniformly pronounced, like Spanish or Japanese, right? So it's something like...

a : ah (as in "car")
e : eh (as in "men")
i : ee (as in "screen")
o : oh (as in "coat")
u : oo (as in "glue")

Well, that's how I understand it, anyway... So I use those pronunciations for various brands of ukulele. :)
 
TN_BluespineUnicorn01.jpg

Delicious thrown right on the coals until papa'a on the outside skin.

If pronounced with emphasis on second syllable (ka-laah) it means "the sun" as in Hale-a-ka-la house of the sun but this "la" referring to the deity sun god.
 
kay-ler if you're from the south.

Being from the South, I can tell you that the correct southern pronunciation is: "that funny mandolin what ain't got half its strangs on it"

JJ
 
Being from the South, I can tell you that the correct southern pronunciation is: "that funny mandolin what ain't got half its strangs on it"

JJ

I just spit coffee on my keyboard! I was fixin' to say sumpin' like that, too. My southern kin did'n take me seriouslike 'til I laid this here ukie-lay-lee barn-burner on 'em. It's me playin' an original bluegrass/calypso fusion ditty on my Mainland concert... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjiz5MvsyHU

Sorry 'bout the shameless plug, y'all! :nana:
 
Ok, so here's a semi-linguistic question. Everyone has said it's pronounced "kah-la" but there are actually TWO ways to pronounce that.... is it the "ah" sound in "father", or the sort of "tightened up" "ah" sound in "badger"? A subtle distinction, I realize... I have always said it with the "father" vowel sound.
 
*the old curmudgeon in me* here's a hint of honesty, who cares how it's pronounced? people will say it how they want anyways... smh

Well, gee... you can't really argue with that logic. I guess there's no need to ever try to pronounce ANYTHING right. That's a real time-saver!
 
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