Gabbles of A Spastic Cynic


July 9th, 2006

Hiding Under the Ninth Earth :: Glossary @ 11:11 pm




~*~*~
Part None : Glossary of Hawaiian and Pidgin Terms Used Throughout the Stories

Notes:
The " ' " in words is a glottal stop.
Vowels are pronounced like those in Latin and are slurred when combined.
W's are sometimes pronounced like a soft "V", so Hawai'i, which is the correctly spelled name, is pronounced Ha-vie-ee (sort of).


Aia! : ah-ee-ah (all one syllable): an expression of surprise or disgust
ahi : ah-hee : yellow fin tuna
Ali'i : alee-ee : The ruling class before the Missionaries, British, and Americans interfered with Hawaiian society
Alua Au : ah-loo-ah-ow : a deliberate mis-naming of a Hawaiian advocacy organization which provides 'court support' such as marriages, record home-births and Hanai family adoptions for native Hawaiians. Any documents they issue are considered legally binding in the local state courts.

brah : friend

crack seed : any 'seed' or dried fruit with li hing -- see li hing mui

da kine : catch-all word used for just about anything.

go bust/get busted : break or crush
Good grinds that : lit. Good food that

Halau : ha-lau (as in 'ow, that hurt') : school of hula
Hale'akala : Haleh-ah-kah-la : the tallest mountain on Maui. Words cannot begin to describe sunrise on its sere slopes; such soul-lifting spirituality above the morning clouds must be experienced to be explained.
Hanai : ha-nie : surrogate/adoptive family : more below
Haole : ha-oh-leh : Caucasian/foreigner
Haupia : how-pee-ah : coconut pudding, with a creamy texture slightly between custard and jello.
humbug : bullshit/crazy/stupid/a problem

imu : ee-moo : a steaming pit

kakui nut : kah-koo-ee nut : like macadamia nuts--used as a laxative
Kani : kah-nee : man or men : Perrin's Pueo
kiawe : kee-ah-veh : mesquite

lanai : la-na-ee : porch or veranda, usually deep and shady
li hing : powder made of licorice/salt/sugar
li hing mui : li hing powder on dried or wet Japanese plums with or without seed pit
limu : lee-moo : seaweed

noni : noh-nee : a green warty new potato looking medicinal plant used for swelling/bruising/cancer

okole : oh-keh-leh : ass/derriere
ono : oh-no : good/delicious
Opihi : oh-pee-hee : a rock limpet one usually eats raw

Pass-o-guava : passion fruit juice mixed with orange and guava juice
Poke : poe-keh : a raw fish dish normally made with cubed raw fish (ahi, ahu, ono, onaga, tako, and calimari are the more common types), sesame seed oil, shoyu with a pinch of sugar, onions, seaweed, and sometimes red chili paste. Yummay!
Pu'eo : puh-eh-oh : Hawaiian Owl, about the size of one's hand. Known for their fierceness, the legends say they protected the Ali'i in battle and could bring immortality.

slippers : flip-flops
streamers/whizzers/gunrolls/blackcats : loud, banging firecrackers

t'ing : thing

you stu : you stupid idiot

Other t'ings:

Aunty/Uncle : a familiar form of address used by both children and adults. Children use it to avoid a bare first name, but it is by invitation only (You may call me 'Aunty Nona', for example). If no invitation is forthcoming, then the person's title is used next (Professor Snape) with Mr, Mrs, or Miss used last of all. Used by adults usually out of habit to older adults they've always called Aunty or Uncle or there's just some people called Aunty or Uncle regardless. Just call me Aunty IGToW

Hanai : A system of adoption used by the Ali'i to 'swap' children amongst themselves to protect them from the intrigues of 'court' politics (to be raised as 'normal folk) or from the wars waged between islands (pre-Kamehameha) and to give them a broader understanding of the world around them. Ali'i children were rarely raised by their real parents. Later, when the Missionaries came to the islands, they were frequently designated as Hanai for those children of Ali'i who refused to convert when their rulers had already done so (in other words, the children were 'stolen'). In modern times, Hanai families are more like guardians, people officially recognised by the State of Hawai'i through the various Hawaiian organizations as surrogate parents when the natural family either cannot raise their children (as in wartime) or as the family to receive/adopt a child/children should the natural parents die inestate. Hanai families have legal rights as well as familial rights and are still used today. In this story Kalani and Kahealani, Malia and Joseph's children, were raised by Hanai parents during both phases of the war with Voldemort as Malia (Poppy's sister and Scottish) and Joseph (a former Auror who fought in England even though he is Ali'i) were heavily involved in the conflict. In turn, Severus and Harry have granted Hanai rights to Ben and Kalani for Perrin, their ward and, eventually, their adopted son, in order to protect him from Tony Mendino, his former step-father. And you just thought this story was simple.

 
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Gabbles of A Spastic Cynic