This article discusses the development of the Kahuawaiola Indigenous Teacher Education Program, t
Also Known As:
'Ōlelo Hawai'i, 'Ōlelo Hawai'i Makuahine
Dialects & Varieties
Proposal to Establish Policies and Guidelines for the County of Kaua‘i Regarding the Use of Hawaiian Language
Proposal to Establish Policies and Guidelines for the County of Kaua‘i Regarding the Use of Hawaiian Language
Severely Endangered
100 percent certain, based on the evidence available
~300
Native Speakers Worldwide
Speaker Number Trends
Speaker Number Trend 5
A small percentage of the community speaks the language, and speaker numbers are decreasing very rapidly.
5
Domains of Use
Domain Of Use 4
Used mainly only in the home and/or with family, and may not be the primary language even in these domains for many community members.
4
Transmission
Transmission 4
Many of the grandparent generation speak the language, but younger people generally do not.
4
Speakers
Native or fluent speakers:
No results found.
Second-language speakers and learners
2,000-3,000
Semi-speakers or rememberers
No results found.
Children:
No results found.
Young adults
No results found.
Older adults
No results found.
Elders
No results found.
Ethnic or community population
No results found.
Year information was gathered
No results found.
Comments on speakers
No results found.
Location and Context
Countries
USA
Location Description
"There no longer exists a Kaua‘i native speaker community, but Ni‘ihau still has a viable, albeit fragile, native speaker community."
Government Support
Official language of Hawaiʻi
Institutional Support
Numerous language immersion programs
Speakers' Attitude
"A stigma persisted in the 20th century in which government and society looked down upon the Hawaiian language, its speakers, its value, and its contribution to Hawai‘i’s unique culture. The result was the decimation of Hawaiian speaking communities coupled with low self esteem among Hawaiian speakers and the end of the transmittal of cultural and esoteric knowledge embedded in the language."
Other Languages Used By The Community
English, Hawaiʻi Creole English ("Pidgin")
Number of Other Language Speakers:
Nearly all
Domains of Other Languages:
Most
Writing Systems
Standard orthography:
No results found.
Writing system:
Roman-based with T and R variants
Other writing systems used:
Standardized Hawaiian (Roman-based without T and R variants)
Comments on writing systems:
"k and t are interchangeable variants of the same consonant in Hawaiian on all islands. Thus, for example, tūtū and kūkū both mean ‘grandma’ or ‘grandpa’. In the Ni‘ihau variety of Hawaiian, katahiaka, takahiaka, and takahiata are all said and all mean ‘morning’. With the standardized Hawaiian alphabet, this word is spelled kakahiaka. Furthermore, l and r (the latter pronounced as in Spanish) are interchangeable variants of the same consonant in the speech of Ni‘ihau... as a result of the Hawaiian alphabet promulgated by Christian missionaries of the [1820s], k and t came to spelled only as ‘k’, l and r as ‘l’ only."
Recent Resources
Language Revitalization, Education, and Learning
Language Documentation, Research, and Archiving
Language in the Community
Language in Society
Language Revitalization, Education, and Learning
Language Documentation, Research, and Archiving
Language in the Community
Language in Society
This is a 2015 literature review about language nests, focusing on the diversity of approaches to
Language Revitalization, Education, and Learning
Language in the Community
Website for the Ke Kula ʻO Nāwahīokalaniʻōpuʻu public charter school in Hawai'i, a lab immersion
