How To Say Ukulele In Hawaiian

The internet is clogged of ukulele advice these days. Some common answers you volition see are: "whatever works for you," "different strokes for different folks," or "simply have fun!" These all fall in the aforementioned vein of the ukulele being a casual, enjoyment-oriented pursuit for 90% of people.

But try asking these friendly folks nigh how to pronounce or spell "ukulele" and tempers flare! Everybody seems to take an stance and discussion can get very heated. Search Google and yous'll detect plenty of forum threads on the subject.

I've wanted to write this for a long time, only take struggled to figure out my approach. Barry Maz'south post Please Stop Arguing Over How Ukulele Is Pronounced got me back in the saddle once more when it came out.

His opinion is that the whole ook vs. yook thing is "ridiculous" and he goes on to say that if you lot're Hawaiian – great! Say it however, merely if you're NOT Hawaiian, as long as you strum along and don't rock the boat, y'all're cool.

I don't accept a trouble with the mail; information technology's fine, I guess. Merely it misses the main indicate that, I believe, causes this to exist such a heated consequence: the history of Hawai'i, cultural appropriation, and colonialism.

Equally someone who lives in the islands, I feel like that's a perspective I can try to add together to the conversation. Then if you wouldn't mind, indulge me whilst I rock the boat.

I'thousand non hither to endeavor and convince anyone of annihilation. Just I also don't remember that whatever caucasian person has the right to dismiss ANY issue that obviously has merit to indigenous people.

For the record, I say "oo-koo-le-le." Living in Hawai'i and learning the uke here I never knew any different. That'south merely how we say it.

How Nosotros Got Here: A Crash Course in Hawaiian History

This is a less romantic rendering than you lot're used to. Merely I believe it's the centre of this often hostile subject.

2000~ years agone, voyaging people came ashore on the most isolated land masses in the earth – Hawai'i. They navigated their canoes using the waves, wind, and stars and brought everything they would need for a fresh start in an unknown land.

Things were cracking for a long time. The Hawaiians created resource management systems that allowed for abundance – and a population similar to today – without destroying the environment. As far equally anybody tin can tell or remember, quality of life was high. They were a very healthy, happy, strong people.

And so James Cook sailed in on his ship in 1778, "discovering" the islands, and inverse things forever.

When word got out that at that place was a chain of islands full of native people to catechumen, Christian missionaries made multiple bee lines to Hawai'i. They brought things with them like the idea of country ownership, written language, and many other Western concepts. Not to mention disease.

Prior to Western contact at that place was very little illness in Hawai'i. The ethnic immune systems didn't have antibodies developed to fight illnesses like cholera, measles, and gonorrhea that foreigners brought with them. Half to Xc percent (fifty-xc%) of the native Hawaiian population died in less than 100 years after first contact.

So next time yous're here and a Hawaiian gives you stink heart, you have no reason to wonder why.

The missionaries were quick to downplay Hawaiian culture and spirituality while encouraging them to worship their i God, making efforts to suppress hula and cultural practices.

Flash forward a handful of decades to the golden era of the mod Hawaiian Kingdom and our petty four-stringed friend enters the picture. In 1879 the Ravenscrag docked in Honolulu harbor, bringing with it Portuguese immigrants to work in the carbohydrate cane fields and their traditional instruments. These traditional instruments morphed over the adjacent few years into what nosotros now know as the ukulele.

This was a regal era in Hawai'i. At that place was a palace. There were kings and queens, princes and princesses. At that place was dignity the likes of which the residuum of the world could only envy. The literacy rate was 90%. In short, things had stabilized and settled into a new, different way of doing things in Hawai'i.

Simply this was too the time of the sugar boom and foreign interests.

Businessmen hoping to influence politics for economic proceeds worked their manner onto Rex David Kalakaua's cabinet in 1887. They managed to strip the King of his power and put information technology instead in the hands of a new governmental torso.

Past manipulating the constitution, this so-called "Hawaiian League" made information technology difficult for Hawaiian citizens to vote and substantially excluded them from decisions regarding their own Kingdom. There was major pushback from the Hawaiian people as the chiffonier made moves to annex the Kingdom to the The states.

Following in the footsteps of her brother, Kalakaua, Queen Lili'uokalani made a great effort to restore power to her Kingdom, simply in the terminate, subsequently several years of protest, she yielded to avoid armed disharmonize in Jan of 1893:

"I, Lili'uokalani, past the grace of God and under the constitution of the Hawaiian Kingdom, Queen, do hereby solemnly protest against any and all acts done confronting myself and the constitutional regime of the Hawaiian Kingdom by certain persons claiming to have established a Provisional Government of and for this Kingdom.

That I yield to the superior strength of the United States of America, whose Minister Plenipotentiary, His Excellency John Fifty. Stevens, has acquired United States troops to exist landed at Honolulu and alleged that he would support the said Conditional Government.

Now, to avoid any collision of military machine and perhaps loss of life, I do, under this protest, and impelled by said forces, yield my potency until such time as the Authorities of the United States shall, upon the facts existence presented to information technology, undo the action of its representative and reinstate me in the authority which I claim equally the constitutional sovereign of the Hawaiian Islands."

Weapons were found at the Queen's house after a small anti-annexation rebellion and Lili'uokalani was imprisoned in 'Iolani Palace. She wasn't given freedom until tardily-1896, at which time she went to DC herself to protest the annexation.

Despite the Queens efforts and the famous Ku'e petition – 29,000 signatures delivered to Congress opposing the annexation – Hawai'i was annexed.

Much more of the history of this era in Hawai'i can exist establish in Lili'uokalani's elegant and lovely book, Hawai'i's Story past Hawai'i's Queen. Understanding this is the fundamental to agreement modernistic-twenty-four hour period Hawai'i.

Look… Supposedly Hawai'i was annexed. There are many scholarly types who claim that legally, the annexation of Hawai'i was never valid – that somebody skipped a step that violates international law. This creates awkward situations where the entire State of Hawai'i is called into question – morally, judicially, economically, etc…

On height of the injustice and disrespect done to the will of the people, Hawai'i ended up a territory, and later a land. In this sense, it'southward impossible to forget the crimes done in the late 18th century every time y'all open your wallet and pull out United states money.

Hawai'i Today

After the industries of sugar and pineapple began to subside, money shifted towards tourism. Hawai'i was marketed as "paradise" and images of hula girls, Waikiki beachboys, and palm copse were sent around the world.

Tourism is our main industry and pays the bills, just it manifests itself heavily on the local population. Monetary interests are put WAY higher up the well-existence of people or place. Hotels are greenish stamped through the permit process, bulldozing sacred sites and burying grounds along the way. Then, of course, hoping to protect their investment, they make beach access tough for locals and pave the smallest parking lot they can become away with.

At the finish of the mean solar day, Hawai'i'due south infrastructure can't even come close to keeping up with the hyper-inflated visitor population. As a result, roads are in terrible shape, water tables are falling at frightening rates, AirBnBs are creating a housing shortage, and we import 90% of our food.

In that location's a sure "take, take, have" mentality that goes along with being a desirable destination. The residents here have never had much of a say in how things get down. It's always been, "This is what's happening. Endeavour not to let it bother you."

This ongoing humbug on summit of general dissent from having to bargain with outsiders all solar day (like Jennifer Lawrence), every day adds up to a lot of frustration, disappointment, and anger in the local people.

Some folks say that "Aloha" is dying. I don't think it is; Hawai'i is only sick and tired of giving information technology away.

In the war years the United States Regular army dropped countless bombs on Kaho'olawe (one big enough to interruption the water table) and on Hawai'i island for training purposes. Even now there are still places that aren't safe to go because you literally might become yourself blown up from unexploded ordinance. Not to mention the monster Pohakuloa Grooming Area where you tin still hear the Army bombing the landscape of "paradise" many days out of the twelvemonth.

Things are slowly changing with the new Hawaiian renaissance. Kanaka maoli and kama'aina alike are finding their voice and the power of protest in the face up of developments similar the Thirty Meter Telescope and Ho'opili.

But there is however very far to go earlier Hawai'i might go the utopia every outsider imagines.

Pronouncing & Spelling Ukulele

So now perchance y'all have a small-scale clue why people can become and so bent out of shape when y'all say ukulele wrong – allow lonely voice your "pro-youkalaylee" stance.

I don't believe it has that much to exercise with the word itself. Ukulele is past no means one of the best Hawaiian words, in my opinion. It has more to do with the impression of casual condone you give to one more than lilliputian piece of Hawai'i by saying it improperly.

Western Pronunciation:

Almost people in the Western globe pronounce ukulele: "y'all-ka-lay-lee." This is the pronunciation that pops upward in Merriam Webster.

This is the most widely used pronunciation of the word outside of Hawai'i.

Hawaiian Pronunciation:

At the time the ukulele originated in Hawai'i (circa 1880), the Hawaiian language was nonetheless the primary language of the islands. It makes sense that the Hawaiians named the instrument in their language.

It's pretty easy to sound out words in Hawaiian. You've only got to be patient. Here's a breakdown of ukulele.

• U is pronounced "oo" – every bit in kicking.
• K is pronounced the same as in English!
• U is the same, so "oo" again.
• L is pronounced as in English.
• East is pronounced "eh" – as in bet.
• 50 again.
• E once more.

The resulting pronunciation is: "oo-koo-le-le." Try saying it a few times if it's unfamiliar to you. It'southward not hard every bit far equally Hawaiian words get. (Even hard Hawaiian words are like shooting fish in a barrel if you pause them downwardly.)

In certain parts of the world it'south understandable that "oo-koo-le-le" doesn't translate in a practical fashion. I've had to tell people three times, "I play the oo-koo-le-le," before realizing that they just don't understand the discussion when said that way. At which point I volition grudgingly say, "I play the yous-ka-lay-lee."

I applaud James Hill for adopting what seems like a great compromise for folks in places where the Western pronunciation prevails: "you lot-koo-le-le." By using the "you" audio at the beginning, the discussion notwithstanding is recognizable to folks outside of Hawai'i while paying tribute to the Hawaiian pronunciation. If you look closer, even from an English perspective, this seem like a more proper usage anyways.

"Ook" and "Yook"

Ironically, most local people I know who pronounce ukulele the Hawaiian style say the shortened uke equally "yook." Non everybody, but enough that that's what I learned to use. I hear, "Brah, I like play your yook!" all the fourth dimension. "Brah, I like play your ook!" not so much (though in that location are people who employ information technology).

"A" VS "An"

Depending on how yous say ukulele, "a" or "an" might audio more advisable earlier the word in a judgement.

If y'all pronounce it the Western way, you'd follow the rule that consonant sounds are always proceeded with "a." A yak. A yodeler. A you-ka-lay-lee.

If y'all pronounce it the Hawaiian style, yous'd follow the rule that vowel sounds are always proceeded by "an." An hour. An creative person. An ukulele.

Since I utilize the Hawaiian pronunciation, yous'll find this site written with "an ukulele."

Spelling Ukulele

The ukulele has many variations on spelling. This is probably due to the fact that many people have never seen the word spelled out and rely on their knowledge (or lack thereof) of English to improvise a spelling on the spot. Some variations I've seen:

• Ukulele
• Ukulele
• Ukelele
• Ukalele
• Ucalaly
• Ukalalay

And of course the abbreviated variations:

• Uke
• Uku
• United kingdom of great britain and northern ireland

As far as my knowledge and opinion goes, ane is the right Hawaiian spelling, i is an English compromise, one is a region-specific variation, and the rest are incorrect.

The Hawaiian Spelling of Ukulele

The Hawaiian spelling includes the letter 'okina. Information technology's a glottal cease that is notated equally a sort-of apostrophe with the orientation of a footling "6." The 'okina is pronounced like the vocal intermission in "uh-oh!"

Because the 'okina in ukulele is at the kickoff of the word, there'southward zippo to glottal cease "against" when pronouncing the discussion on its own. That means yous can ignore the 'okina when saying ukulele by itself.

If there was another Hawaiian give-and-take in forepart of ukulele you would accept to accept the 'okina into consideration and create a breath intermission betwixt the two words. For case, ka ukulele means "the ukulele." Yous would say ka and then stop your breath momentarily earlier y'all motion onto the "u" audio.

Here's a Hawaiian's perspective:

"I am of Hawaiian ancestry, born and raised in Hawai'i. As a child, the Hawaiian language was never spoken conversationally in our dwelling house, the consequence of prohibition in the mid to late 1800's. My fluent-speaking grandparents never spoke the linguistic communication to u.s.a., my parents understood information technology but did not speak it. None of my brothers and sisters (eight of us) understood it or spoke information technology. The but time we articulated the language in an expressive and extended mode was while singing the traditional songs and hymns. Over the years we take learned bits and pieces only we are still far from fluent.

I matter I do know is the correct Hawaiian spelling of the proper name of the instrument nosotros are all enjoying … ukulele. The Hawaiian spelling includes the 'okina (') at the beginning. The 'okina is one of 8 consonants in the Hawaiian alphabet and is written as an apostrophe which curves toward the next letter [similar a modest number "6"]. I find information technology interesting that the Hawaiian/English language dictionary lists ukulele (without the 'okina) in the English section and translates it to Hawaiian as ukulele (with the 'okina). Another Hawaiian word which begins with an 'okina is 'ohana. Please check the online Hawaiian/English lexicon at ulukau.org to verify the data I have shared here.

The linguistic communication of my ancestors has been forced into many changes, some out of necessity (i.e. the expansion of its vocabulary), some out of lack of knowledge and some out of cocky-righteous motives (prohibition initiated by the missionaries). Please accept my comments here as my sincere and humble attempt to contribute to the spread of the correct usage of the Hawaiian language. I don't know how ukulele (without the 'okina) can be considered an English word, but if you prefer to omit the 'okina… I guess technically you would not be wrong.

Anyway, give thanks you for this opportunity to add together my two cents to this chit chat.

'O wau no me ka ha'aha'a (Humbly yours),

Anuhea"

Aunty Anuhea shared this many years agone on the MeleOhana Yahoo group of Kona. I reached out and she gave me permission to reprint her writing hither.

The Western Spelling of Ukulele

When spelled without the 'okina, pronunciation could go either style. It depends on context and who'south reading or writing.

If you lot pronounce it "you-ka-lay-lee," information technology's kind of lightheaded to write it the Hawaiian manner.

Ukelele is a variant that somehow evolved to become especially prevalent in the UK and Europe. I've heard that this is the spelling you'll find in some English dictionaries.

Which, of course, gets you into the argument that ukelele is an English word and should be pronounced "you lot-ka-lay-lee."

Moving Frontwards & Playing the Ukulele

With the ukulele soaring in popularity, there are more than people than ever saying the give-and-take. Some people are going to say it haole (white person) style, some Hawaiian manner. That'south never going to change.

I say potato, you say potato. These things evolve as dialect. It's non necessarily wrong or bad, only dissimilar. In this globalized era we live in, it can seem similar nosotros should use the information available to us to correct and homogenize as much of our language every bit possible.

But that's how civilisation dies. Only ask the Hawaiians. Since the linguistic communication was banned here in the early on 20th century and almost lost, there is and then little of the civilization left that it's hard work to endeavour and bring traditional practices and cognition dorsum. It gets ameliorate every yr with more and more than keiki being raised in Hawaiian language households, but I tin can still count on one hand the number of fluent Hawaiian speakers I know in my surface area.

Where y'all're from in the earth is actually the biggest informer of how you'll probably say ukulele. If you're from Kansas, "y'all-koo-lay-lee" is what y'all know. If you're from Waimanalo, "oo-koo-le-le" is what you know. Switch the two populations and they'd be telling everyone effectually them that they're wrong.

But that's not to say that y'all're off the claw for how yous say something. If you get to Italy, yous're expected to pronounce Italian words correctly because that's the language; you won't exist understood otherwise. You volition certainly be forgiven if you say something incorrectly while learning, only (I hope) y'all'd never insist that YOUR pronunciation is right when it's obviously non.

While we're on the discipline of Italian: Aquila. Everyone is happy to tell y'all that these popular strings are pronounced "ah-kwee-la" because THAT'S how it'southward pronounced in Italian. Ukulele is a Hawaiian word. How come up the Hawaiian pronunciation isn't a given correction people encourage?

The concern with this subject is the flippant condone of things Hawaiian. Whenever y'all make an effort to polish over give-and-take by saying something like, "You're overreacting. We don't need to argue. Everybody tin can be correct," you're continuing a long legacy of cultural cribbing.

Appreciate the instrument for what it is and remember its roots. Y'all don't have to say it the Hawaiian way at abode, only when you come here, that'southward how we roll. In the meantime, don't tone police force.

Source: https://liveukulele.com/lessons/pronounce-ukulele/

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