Synopsis: Our ancestors had names for all the winds and the rains they encountered in their environment. Was this also true for hurricanes? How did they name such winds before this practice was appropriated by the National Weather Service?

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Aloha mai e o'u hoa alo like i ka 'ino. Ia'u e kākau nei i nēia wahi kolamu nūpepa, eia au ke kali nei 'o ka puahio 'ana mai o nā kokololio makani ma uka o Kalihi. 'O ke kau makani pāhili nō kēia wahi a ka National Weather Service, a he makani pāhili nō e hiki mai nei a i kapa 'ia kona inoa 'o Felicia. 'O ka 'auinalā na'e kēia o ka Pō'akolu a he lā mālie wale nō. Ua hao mai kekahi mau kokololio makani i ke kakahiaka nei a ua helele'i ho'i ka ua. Eia na'e, 'a'ohe ikaika o ia makani. 'A'ohe mea pohō i ka hili 'ia. A 'o ka ua ho'i i hiki pū mai me ia, 'a'ohe ona hālanalana ma ka 'āina.

'A'ole na'e e hihi. Eia ka mea 'āpiki. Ma ka 'ōlelo Hawai'i, he mea ma'a mau ke kapa 'ia o ka makani o kēlā wahi kēia wahi ma kona inoa pono'ī, a 'o ka makani kama'āina o uka nei o Kalihi, 'o ia nō 'o Haupe'epe'e. Inā pēlā, 'o wai kēlā makani i hiki mai i ke kakahiaka nei a hala aku nei i kahi 'ē? 'O Felicia paha, 'o Haupe'epe'e paha? Mali'a, 'o ia makani ho'okahi nō ia a ua kapa 'ia ma ia mau inoa 'oko'a lā a 'elua? Wahi a ka 'ōlelo a ka po'e kūkala anilā o ke kīwī, me he mea lā, he malihini ua 'o Felicia i hiki mai i ko kākou pae 'āina nei mai kahi 'ē mai. He kipa wale mai nō iā kākou a 'o kona hala aku nō ia.

Pehea lā ke 'ano o ia mea he makani pāhili i ka mana'o o ka po'e kahiko? He malihini anei ia a i 'ole he kama'āina i kapa 'ia ma ka inoa o ka makani kama'āina o kēlā me kēia wahi. Inā ho'i he malihini ia i ko lākou lā mana'o, ua kapa 'ia anei ma kona inoa pono'ī? Mali'a he Moa'e ia a he Noe paha. He mau makani nāna e pā mai ma ka 'ao'ao Ko'olau. Inā pēlā, pehea ka inoa o ka makani pāhili ke pā mai ma ka 'ao'ao Kona? He inoa 'oko'a paha kona? He nui hou aku nō nā nīnau no ke kapa 'ana i ka inoa o ia mea he makani pāhili. Aia nō paha kekahi mau hoa heluhelu o Kauakūkalahale i pa'a iā lākou kēia mau 'ike. He kōkua nui ka loa'a mai o ia mau 'ike i ka po'e e ho'ōla nei i ka 'ōlelo Hawai'i a me ke kuana'ike Hawai'i. Pēlā e hō'alo ai i ka pono ho'opuka wale aku i ka 'ōlelo na'aupō no ia mea. Pēlā ho'i e mālama 'ia ai ka loina Hawai'i no ke kapa inoa 'ana i nā makani a e laha ai ho'i mai 'ō a 'ō o ke kaiaulu 'ōlelo Hawai'i. He ma'ū nō ia i ka hā'awi pio aku i ko kākou mau loina me ka puni wale aku ho'i i ka loina o ka haole. 'O ka mālama i nā loina Hawai'i ka mea e kū hou ai kākou i ka moku!

'A'ohe o'u hoihoi i ka puni wale aku i ka loina haole, a no laila, 'a'ohe o'u kapa aku i kēia makani ma ka inoa haole. He inoa Hawai'i nō paha a aia ko kākou pono i ka noi'i nowelo aku a loa'a mai ia 'ike. 'A'ohe waiwai o ka puni wale aku i ka loina haole. Na ka moloā e hele aku ma ia alahele. Wahi a kahiko, “Ma ka hana ka 'ike.” A no laila, e hana aku nō kākou a loa'a mai ia 'ike.

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E ho'ouna 'ia mai nā leka iā māua, 'o ia ho'i 'o Laiana Wong a me Kekeha Solis ma ka pahu leka uila ma lalo nei:

>> .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

>> .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

a i ‘ole ia, ma ke kelepona:

>> 956-2627 (Laiana)

>> 956-2624 (Kekeha)

This column is coordinated by the Hawaiian Language Department at the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, supported by the Initiative for Achieving Native Hawaiian Academic Excellence.