Other Common Words in Hawaiian Pidgin EnglishĪre you ready to start speaking pidgin? Check out the following pidgin words and start speaking like a local! “Eat” is “grind”, but the word “kau kau” is also used to describe the act of eating and food itself. You could write an entire book on this word. Not only does it mean both “hello” and “goodbye”, but it’s also used to express love, sympathy, and respect, among other things. “Aloha” is used to mean both “hello” and “goodbye” in Hawaii and is commonly used in Hawaiian Pidgin and by English speakers. It can be used to refer to people, objects, or even concepts. “Dakine” seems to derive from “the kind” and essentially serves as a placeholder, much like “whatsit” or “so-and-so”. Hawaiian Pidgin is more intelligible for English speakers than many other creole languages, and many experts consider it to be a dialect of American English.Īn English speaker can grasp a lot of the words and phrases without any extensive language studies, but some words are easier than others, as you can see from the examples below: What Does Dakine Mean In Hawaiian Pidgin? In Hawaii, people speak Hawaiian Pidgin more than Hawaiian, and a little knowledge can go a long way. It certainly began that way, but it has since evolved into a demographically stable language that has become nativized. Now…while all of that is certainly fascinating, it’s not entirely relevant here as the Hawaiian pidgin language is technically not a pidgin language.

It is not a native language and merely serves as a secondary language that is used to communicate basic concepts and ideas, often through devices like onomatopoeia, as well as simplified versions of other languages. It is traditionally used in business circles and the word “pidgin” actually comes from the Chinese pronunciation of the word “business”. Why is it Called Pidgin? What is the Hawaiian Pidgin Language?Ī pidgin language is a simplified language that develops among people who don’t have a common language.

Is Hawaiian Pidgin English Officially A Recognized Language?.How Does The Hawaiian Pidgin Accent Sound To Americans?.Other Common Words in Hawaiian Pidgin English.What Does Dakine Mean In Hawaiian Pidgin?.

Pidgin language bible