The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1869-01-27

ordinary Hawaiian organs could enunciate
it. Thus, "cent" became kenetd. as the
native could not give the soft sounding c,
or pronounce the final I, without adding
vowel after. California became KalipOnid.
The effect of this upon some words and
names, particularly in gc"-anhy, appears
somewhat ludicrous. III; inhabitant of
San Francisco would hardly think that
Palelfko was meant to designate his city,
and was the same word as Francisco.
How often have we seen foreigner and
native trading for few fish. and the for
eigner, as he inquired for the pihi-hsh-
flattering himself that he was talking very
good Hawaiian. while the native was quite
pluming himself on his proficiency in Eng
lish, as far as that word went, each imagin
ing that he was talking the language OF the
other. This idea Of Hnwaiianizing English
words seems to be quite q favorite one
with some. and would seem to be pushed TO
an unnecessary extent, scarcely calculated
to enrich the Hawaiian. In discussion
about Christmas day, the anniversary is
denominated RrikiB1dkd-a mere corrnp-
ton for Christmas the more nnneces-
sary. as the native has always been taught
to call the sacred title of our Saviour
Kristo-which be easily and habitually
difficulty in translating ka la hanau
Kristo,r the birthday Of our Saviour.
Or, if it is desired to be more critical
and at the same. time to keep before
the people the fact. that the day Of
Christ's birth is not certainly known to be
/ the 25th Of December-then. "ka Ia i ka-
paia ka la hanau Kristo." the day call
ed the birthday of our Saviour So like
wise. we have seen the word lede, as signi-
I flying ones wife, lately, as for instance:
Governor Of Oahu, me kama Lede.H
! This is corruption for lady" and what
peculiar and educative ideas are conveyed
to the Hawaiian mind by it. we do not
know How it is any improvement on aca-
! hi,le, is not apparent. There is no other
word in English to express the lawful rela-
ton of a married woman to man, than the
unequiyocal word wife" though some men
prefer to call ones wife. his lady. or to
make use of the still more equivocal
I phrase. his companion. who would think it
very odd to hear woman speaking of her
husband, as her gentleman, and if she
should speak of him as her companion,
might ask her if she had not married him.
But this is DEPRESSION.
We are at a loss to know how the Ha-
waiian language will be improved by i'm
porting the word into. aud writing it leoe,
instead of lady" If it is necessary to
express the idea-it must be to the educa-
ted Hawaiian-and is it not just as well
to spell it rightly as wrongly. Would it
not be better to write the names Of coun-
tries, as they are known to some civilized
nation, and if it is necessary to bring il
words, to bring them in unchanged, or as
little changed as possible. Instead of wri-
ting Sepdnia, for Spain, why not write
it Hispania, and write England" as it is.
If the child cannot pronounce it, let him
get it as near as he can, or where they
have become used to the corruption, print
the name alongside of it. As education
is now spreading from year to year, and
the young are becoming more and more ac-
customed to the use of the English Ian
guage, it certainly does not seem necessa-
sary to barbarize words, and make the ma
tive language ridiculous by the process.