Latin and Greek were once the universal languages of science, religion and learning. Today, they are considered dead or, worse, quaint. We hear sayings such as carpe diem (seize the day) and caveat emptor (buyer beware), but never an actual conversation.
Not so, Hawaiian.
Besides Hawaiian language classes, conversation groups and efforts such as Hawaiian language programs on the radio, Hawaiian has found new life on the internet - what could be more au courant? The Hawaiian Language Center (http://www.olelo.hawaii.edu/) has pages in both English and Hawaiian.
To read Hawaiian on the net, first you download special type fonts for your PC or Mac. These fonts have the kahako and 'okina, the diacritical marks Hawaiian uses.
Once the fonts are loaded and selected, there's plenty to read: newspapers, calendars, a searchable Hawaiian/English dictionary and a pronunciation guide. There are even plans for online chat and e-mail in Hawaiian.
Of course, the internet has everything. Besides Hawaiian, there's Klingon, the language of Star Trek's imaginary warrior world, which has no words for "please" or "thank you" (http://www.kli.org/KLIhome.html).
As Mr. Spock would say, live long and prosper, Hawaiian.
