“Pidgin”
“Pidgin”
Many residents speak Hawaii Creole English (HCE), often called “pidgin”. The lexicon of HCE derives mainly from English but also has words from Hawaiian, Chinese, Japanese, Filipino and Portuguese. During the 19th century, there was a great increase in immigration from foreign countries (mainly China, Japan, Portugal—especially from the Azores archipelago—and Spain), and a pidgin English developed which by the early 20th century became a creole English, as pidgin speakers had children who acquired the pidgin as their own native language.
HCE speakers can use some Hawaiian words without those words being considered archaic. Most place names are retained from Hawaiian, as are some names for plants or animals. For example, tuna fish are often called “ahi” (ʻahi). HCE speakers have modified the meanings of certain English words. For example, the terms “auntie” and “uncle” can be used to refer to any adult who is a friend, or a friend to the family. It is also used as a sign of respect for elders. Throughout the surfing boom in Hawaii, HCE has influenced surfer slang. Some HCE expressions, such as brah and da kine, have found their way to other places.
Certain words can be dropped if their meaning is implicit. For example, instead of saying “It is hot today, isn’t it?”, an HCE speaker is likely to say simply “stay hot, ah?”
