| After sailing to the northwest coast of America, the two ships of the Cook expedition returned to Hawai`i, mostly lying at anchor from January 17 to February 22, 1779 at Kealakekua Bay. David Samwell was surgeon on the Discovery, a position he assumed after William Anderson's death. He was apparently interested in capturing the essence of Polynesian poetry, and his journal, more than any other, describes the lighthearted side of the voyage. In his diary entry for February 4, near the end of a long description of customs and material culture, Samwell touched on the topic of language, mentioning the similarity of Hawaiian to Tahitian and promising: 'A specimen of it will be hereafter given.' However, Cook's death on February 14 provided a much more urgent matter for diarists to describe. But the promised specimen of the language appears after a description of people and events at Niʻihau in the entry for March 14, 1779 — the day before they left the island. It remained in manuscript form until Beaglehole published his edition of Cook's third voyage in 1967. adapted from Albert J. Schütz, "Voices of Eden" p. 35. |
analyzed and annotated by Laiana Wong
click on column heading to sort
| num. | list word | modern Hawaiian | list gloss |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Raw-oho | lauoho | Hair |
| 2. | Coomakā | kuʻemaka | Eyebrows |
| 3. | Hamaka | he maka | Eyes |
| 4. | Eihoo | ihu | Nose |
| 5. | Neeho | niho | Teeth |
| 6. | Oome oome | ʻumiʻumi | Beard |
| 7. | Pepeiaw | pepeiao | Ear |
| 8. | Herero | he alelo | Tongue |
| 9. | Paparena | papālina | Cheek |
| 10. | Hepoocaiho | he pukaihu | Nostrils |
| 11. | Hererhehe | he lehelehe | Lips |
| 12. | Remarema | limalima | Arm |
| 13. | Havavahe | he wāwae | Leg |
| 14. | Capooai | kapuaʻi (ʻsole of foot, footprint’) | Foot |
| 15. | Koorecoore | kulikuli | Knee |
| 16. | Oowha | ʻūhā | Thigh |
| 17. | Oomawma | umauma | Breast |
| 18. | Hekooa | he kua | Back |
| 19. | Poheive | poʻohiwi | Shoulder |
| 20. | Maioo | maiʻao | fingrernails |
| 21. | Manamanarema | manamana lima (finger) | Thumb |
| 22. | Kanaka | kanaka | a Man |
| 23. | Hekane | he kāne | Husband |
| 24. | Waheine | wahine | Woman |
| 25. | Hevai | he wai | Water |
| 26. | Herah | he lā | the Sun |
| 27. | Hepo | he pō | night |
| 28. | A-a-o | ao | day |
| 29. | Poorema | pūlima (ʻwrist, cuff’. apolima ʻbracelet’) | a Bracelet |
| 30. | Toiee | koʻi | a Hatchet |
| 31. | Awai | ʻauwae | the Chin |
| 32. | Moi | moe | to sleep |
| 33. | ai | ʻai | eat |
| 34. | Hooawai | huawai (ʻbottle’. also huewai.) | drink |
| 35. | moco moco | mokomoko | fight |
| 36. | pepehe | pepehi | beat or kill |
| 37. | Matte | make | to kill |
| 38. | acaca | ʻakaʻaka | to laugh |
| 39. | Hewe | uwē | to cry |
| 40. | Nana | nānā | to look |
| 41. | Orero | ʻōlelo | to speak |
| 42. | Hepoore | he pule (ʻpray’) | to sing |
| 43. | Eharee | he hale | a House |
| 44. | nuee | nui | large |
| 45. | oogoo | ʻuku; ʻuʻuku | small |
| 46. | eia | ʻike; eia (ʻhere’) | to understand |
| 47. | apaw | a pau; ua pau | no more |
| 48. | ehanee | he aha nei? | what's this? |
| 49. | Pahoo | pahu | a Drum |
| 50. | Hoa | hoa (ʻto bind, tie’) | a Comb |
| 51. | evaho | e waho | to go out |
| 52. | wora | ola; ua ola | alive |
| 53. | Hemairee | Hemaʻili (proper name) | a Chief |
| 54. | Aree | aliʻi | a Chief |
| 55. | Kawa | kauā (ʻoutcast, slave’) | common fellow |
| 56. | Noa | noa | common fellow |
| 57. | oro | holo (ʻgo fast’) | to go |
| 58. | oro mogoo | holo moku (simplified) | the Ship goes away |
| 59. | aroha outow! | aloha ʻoukou | friendly Salutation |
| 60. | paw ekee ahee | pau i ke ahi | burnt |
| 61. | Hoowai | ʻuwehe | open the Door |
| 62. | No | mō ? (sometime short for moku) | an Island |
| 63. | Aina | ʻāina | an Island or Country |
| 64. | Ava | awa (ʻharbour’) | a Bay |
| 65. | Keonee | kūono (ke one? ʻbeach, sand’) | a Bay [ditto] |
| 66. | Medooa kanee | makua kāne | a Father |
| 67. | Medooawaheine | makuahine [makua(wa)hine] | Mother |
| 68. | Keige kanee | keiki kāne | a Son |
| 69. | Keige Waheine | kaikamahine | a Daughter |
| 70. | Hamatana | he makana | a Present |
| 71. | Too boo | -kupu (ʻtax, tribute’) | a Present [ditto] |
| 72. | Ehada | e haki; hahaʻi | to break |
| 73. | Heroro | he lōlō (ʻnumb, paralysed’) | dumb |
| 74. | Apo-nora | apō no (The -ra could be lā ʻday’) | to night |
| 75. | Maheoree | mahiole | feather'd Caps |
| 76. | Haoo oora | ʻahuʻula | feather'd Cloaks |
| 77. | Erei | he lei | feather'd Necklace |
| 78. | Hemaro | he malo (ʻloin cloth’) | thick Cloth |
| 79. | Hew-ooraw | he o lole? (heu ʻula ʻghost fibers’?) | thin Cloth |
| 80. | e-he-a? | ʻehia | How many? |
| 81. | hanaw | hānau | born |
| 82. | Ourooah | ʻuluā | Cava bowl with Images |
| 83. | Tanoa | kānoa | Common one |
| 84. | Aboo | ipu | small Cava Dish |
| 85. | rero | lilo | to sell |
| 86. | Hewrooh | he ʻulu | round stones for bowling |
| 87. | Hobe | hope (ʻthe last child’?) | a Boy |
| 88. | Taitooana | kaikuaʻana | a Brother |
| 89. | Peahe | peʻahi | a Fan |
| 90. | Taheeree | kahili (Oahu dial.) | fly flap |
| 91. | peremai | pēlā mai (ʻin that way -here’) | pull to |
| 92. | Owai tou e noa? | ʻo wai kou inoa | whats your name? |
| 93. | Hereireira | hele laila | let's go there |
| 94. | Awheroa | e weloa (ʻaʻohe loa ʻnot in the least’?) | I don't hear you |
| 95. | rhea | laulā (ākea ?) | wide |
| 96. | poota | puka | a Hole |
| 97. | ei-ia | eia | here |
| 98. | eroona | i luna | above |
| 99. | eiraro | i lalo | below |
| 100. | ano | anu | cold |
| 101. | maramarama | malamalama | Light |
| 102. | Coocooee | kukui | Light or Candle |
| 103. | a-owree | ʻaʻole | No! |
| 104. | Tawmaha | kaumaha | heavy |
| 105. | Ocara | ʻo kēlā (ʻthat one’) | him |
| 106. | Ehone | he one | sand |
| 107. | Ava pooee | ʻawapuhi | Ginger |
| 108. | Hew whe | uhi | Tattawing |
| 109. | Heroro | he lolo | the Brain |
| 110. | Poohakoo | pōhaku (ʻstone’) | Lava |
| 111. | Meenōh | manō | a Shark |
| 112. | Eia | he iʻa | Fish |
| 113. | Manoo | manu | Birds |
| 114. | Eereeo | ʻīlio | a Dog |
| 115. | Herore | he lole (ʻdepigmentation’) | the Pox |
| 116. | He pea pea | he peʻapeʻa (ʻfilthy, unclean’) | the Pox [ditto] |
| 117. | chonee | e honi | to smell |
| 118. | maitai | maikaʻi | good |
| 119. | eenoo | ʻino | bad |
| 120. | manee | mani (ʻsmooth’) | fine |
| 121. | mee-e | miʻi | fine [ditto] |
| 122. | waw-whe | (wāwae ʻleg’) | to go away |
| 123. | tahe | ʻekāhi | one (1) |
| 124. | rooa | lua | two (2) |
| 125. | doroo | kolu | three (3) |
| 126. | ha | hā | four (4) |
| 127. | rema | lima | five (5) |
| 128. | onoo | ono | six (6) |
| 129. | heidoo | hiku | seven (7) |
| 130. | varoo | walu | eight (8) |
| 131. | eiva | ʻeiwa | nine (9) |
| 132. | oome | ʻumi | ten (10) |
| 133. | aw-whea? | ʻauhea | where? |
| 134. | hare-hea | hele i hea | where are you going? |
| 135. | aouree ete | ʻaʻole ʻike | I dont know |
| 136. | oi | ʻoe (singular) | you |
| 137. | waw | wau | I |
| 138. | Uta | uka | the Shore |
| 139. | Hekai | he kai | the Sea |
| 140. | Pakai | paʻakai | Salt |
| 141. | Eraw | he lāʻau | Wood |
| 142. | Neeoo | niu | cocoanuts |
| 143. | To | kō | Sugar Cane |
REFERENCES
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