It wasn’t until I went to Whitworth University in Spokane, Washington that I had to be conscious about speaking proper English or else run the risk of not being understood. Combined with English and the Native Hawaiian language, a hodgepodge of slang started to be formed, taking certain words from different cultures and combining it into what is known as pidgin today.īeing born and raised on Maui, I grew up using certain pidgin words without giving it a second thought. A lot of it stemmed from the plantation days in the late 1800s and early 1900s, when immigrant workers and supervisors came from varying countries such as Japan, the Philippines, China, Korea, Portugal, and Spain. The slang, or “pidgin” that you’re actually hearing, is a result of the unique melting pot of ethnicities and cultures that have made up the overall local culture in Hawai’i over the years. Phrases and words like “da kine” and “bumbai” may have flown over your head like a mynah bird (which I think should be the state bird because they’re everywhere – but that’s a discussion for another time). If you’ve ever been to Hawai’i, you may have noticed certain words that locals use that you weren’t familiar with. Arts and Culture What is Hawaiian Pidgin?
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