Polynesian. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu], Hawaii) 1844-1864, 1862-10-04
Ghe polnnesian.
Polynesian Languages.
1CONTINUBD.l
HANA, MAUI, March, 1862.

great facilities for analysing it. Every syllable
is either vowel, or vowel preceded by a
consonant In no case does consonant CLOSE
syllable. This distinctive pecuarity may partly
have arisen from the greater difficulty of articu-
lating a syllable closing with a eonsonant. Ask
adult Hawaiian knowing no language his
own. to pronounce the syllable formed by the two
first letters of our alphabet and he will be sure to
pronounce it as if written aba. And, IN reality, if
we pronounc- the same syllable slowly, and attend
pronunciation of it. shall be sensible that
ourselves have sligh tendency to add TO 1t
feeble a sound. AS the lips open, after being closed
upon the b, there issues out faint breathing like
ha. vowel. 1t is quite task for a native to avoid
giving distinct vowel sound, after any consonant
1t would thus seem likely that this perfect cutting
the current of the voice. this distinct articulation,
thing not existing in rddimentary speech, and
which had not entered misconceptions OF those who
framed the Polynesian language.
There is however, another possible explanation of
the popularity. For the fancy to be able to form
any image of things external, out of the Current of
the voice, it may be necessary that 1t should be felt
as flowing Il omit details). However we account for
it, the circumstance shows gees to show, that the
Polynesian language ascends far up towards the
times when human speech was in rudimentary
condition.
The Pr tesant missionaries to these islands, fol-
lowing the judcous advice of skilled in these
matters, made the Hawaiian al phabet simple
possible. The letters given by them twelve.
First come the five vowes, a e i u, pronounced
after the manner of the Scotch, and of most Euro
pean nations and not after that of England. These
therefore unconnected with consOnants form five
paIate syllables There remain seven consonants,
and as each cOnsonant can take any of the five VOW
els after it, and 7x5=35, there would be altogether
only forty possible syables in the Hawaiian dialect
of the Poynesian believe, however, the matter
is not quite simple; some f the vowels have more
than sound and the variation Serves to mark dis
tinct conceptions. Thus a, i'll the first syllable of
Hana this place, and in that of hama, work, has
different sounds; in the former, ha signifies gap or
opening answering to the Greek xa, or cha. tr'm
whence chaos, chasm, &c. whereas in the latter
it means personal, bodily effort / shall not, how
ever. pursue this part of the subject. will only
make two observations necessary to elucidate
what follows.
In the first place, then, the Hawaans often give
slight ruffng q roughning to their enunciation OF
vowels which is in effect a nascent consOnant Thus
in pronouncing the letter a, often toi
company it. That this appears by the fact that
foreigners hear this faint sound and in consequence
in their first attempts at pronunciation give 1t full
force. Thus you will hear men who have picked up
little smattering of the tongue, pronouncing aitane
as if it'were written high carney; and, indeed,
have seen it written. | might give many other
examples. 1t is probable therefore, that in the pro-
gress of language, these nascent consonants would
! become more marked, and pass into written lam
guage. Thus, according my Interpretation, ka de-
notes forcibe action proceeding from a definite
! point. Add to this another a, which marks con-
tnued action, and you have forcible and continued
| movement commencing at definite point. Now,
the only movement of this sort familiar TO rude men,
would be a rolling movement. Accordingly, stone
tree ON rolling down hill is said To 'kaai so a
| horse when he rolls on his back, when roll
| ling from his sleeping place, &c. When the Ha-
waians a wheel carriage, they naturally called
it 'kaa-a thing tina. rolls-thus 'plpr being OK, a
kaa ppi is an OK cart This root 'kaa passing into
the sanscrt become char which, in that language,
means a movement onward from definite point
hence probably 'caravan, word of Perslc origin.
Passing into the GerBan it became 'karre into the
Celtic, karr. Caesar Romanzed this by adding an
'us (carrus) but in French it is still char We write
it car; and yet, though they have come down to us
| by very long detOur, were stranger TO these
| islands-say HUngaran-to hear first one of US
| pronounce the two words ' car" and then a Ha-
waiian " he kaa," he would probably discern no diff
ference but that the latter uttered after
raucous fashion, like Haw Iiian speech in general.
As there seem nascent consOnants on many Of the
vowes, great part of the consonans themselves may
be said to be only ncipent Hence the diverstes in
writing the Protestant missionaries printing with k,
the French with 1t takes months of patient labor
to teach Hawaiian youth to know the difference be-
tween d. G, and and also not to be distin-
guished All this may be referred to the general
principle. the urIheTn you trace language the less
articulate That is say, the less seldom, and
less competefy is the current of the voice broken.
The Hawaiian pours out q stream Of sound, in which,
to the Impractical ear, vowels and consOnants seem
blended together. Hence the strange mistakes the
first voyagers made, writing the proper name in
| balf-a- dozen different manners.
| From q consideration If this circumstance, may
draw the conclusion that the different dialects Of
the POlynesian language not really far apart
they from printed books because in writing
have put down very lightly pronounced consonants as
if distinctly uttered and some have chosen letter.
others another, to represent sounds nearly quite
Identical Add to this that with perfectly srticulat
ing Europeans the consOnants esteemed the fixed
points, The vowels the easily interchangeable, whereas
the contrary Is the case with the FCynesan, and you
have cause for the misapprehenson. European phi
loOgsts of emnence, their view Obscured by this
neous apprehension and giving the subject probably
only cursory examination have authortatiyely. but
very falsely pronounced the different dialects of the
Polynesian to have but little affinity to each other A
European in seeing in written dialect kok and in
another hoi, in one kea and in another tea, would
think they the same words, only probably slightly
different in their pronunciation. effect 1t you show
the New Zealand Testament to Hawaiian he will say
it is book written in foreign language but if you
take it up, give slight turn TO the pronunciation
the words, and here and there substitute Others YOU
will find that there are many passages quite intellgib
to him.
In the same way, as there are many words in the
Poynesian which require only very slight turn in the
pronunciation to become Sanscrit, Greek Latin, &c.
think it is conclusion authorized by analogy to the
above and by the practice of phologss in general
affirm that they either cognate that one hsl
sprung from the other.
To have recourse again to the syllable 'ka. have
said that it denotes forcble actn proceeding from
definite point, repetition Of it has much the force o.
what is termed freauentative in grammar denoting
recurring action, and, according to the nature of thai
action. either intensiying it diminishing its force
Thus ka ka denotes any quick repeated movement pro-
ceedng from definite point say from the hand. as fol
instance in extinguishing fire in grass by striking
peaedy with branch is 'kaka wela,' or splitting FIRE
wood is 'kska wahie' When reference is made to tn
action ITSELF the place being indefinite. la is added
denOting place generally. something like the French Ia,
there Hence 'ksSala comes TO signify the breaking
the surf, the strisng of cock with his spurs,
hence again the spur itself Now compare .kskals will
the Latin calcar kalkar, which is also . cocks spur
aud you perceive it requires but very small twist