Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 5, Number 6, 1 June 1988 — New Book Provides Alternate Approach [ARTICLE]

New Book Provides Alternate Approach

The Hawaiian Name Book,anewpublication I by authors Patrick Ka'ano'i and Robert Lokomaika'iokalani Snakenberg, is a fascinating collection of Hawaiian names and their meanings that will interest new parents and anyone interested in using and understanding Hawaiian names. The authors, both Hawaiian language and eulture experts, say this book is not meant to take the plaee of traditional Hawaiian name-giving by kupuna. Instead they have tried to provide an alternate approach from the old "Hawaiianized" English names by exploring the meanings of English names and then translating those meanings into Hawaiian. In this day and age when properly using the Hawaiian language demonstrates the continuing resurgence of our Hawaiian "renaissance," this book provides greater knowledge and appreciation of our beautiful 'olelo makuahine, or mother tongue." The guiding philosophy for the translations was: "Names should not be Hawaiianized; names should sound pleasing to the ear; names should be rendered as one or two word translations where possible; and names should not have negative connotations." Some examples from the book of English names, their meaning and Hawaiian equivalent: Andrew, "manly," Kukane; Earl, "warrior", Kekoa; Jason, "healer," Ho'ola; Kenneth, "handsome," Nohea; Maleolm, "dove," Manuku; Osbert, "divine brilliance," Alohilani; Gwen, "beautifully blessed," Pomaika'inani; Jennifer, "white wave," Nalukea; Nadine, "hope," Mana'olana; Rowena, "flowering white hair," Lauohokeamohala; and Zoe, "life," Keola. An interesting historical footnote is that in 1860, a law was passed in Hawai'i making it illegal to give a child a Hawaiian name unless an English Christian first name accompanied it. This law led to the anglicizing of Hawaiian names and was not rescinded until 1967. For over 100 years people in Hawai'i lived with this law, whieh created a whole listing of "Hawaiianized" forms of Christian first names that do not exist in the Hawaiian language. The Hawaiian Name Book is published by the Bess Press and is available at all fine book outlets in Hawaii for $4.95. It ean be ordered directly, adding $1.50 for postage and handling per book, from Bess Press, Box 22388, Honolulu, HI 96822.