ʻōlelo Pelekāne
/ʔoːˈle.lo ˌpe.leˈkaː.ne/word by word
In Hawaiian, "english" can be translated as ʻōlelo Pelekāne. If unsure, use ʻōlelo Pelekāne. Wiktionary also lists ʻōlelo Pelekānia and ʻōlelo haole.
Meaning: the English language (name)
Ways to say it
| Hawaiian | IPA |
|---|---|
| ʻōlelo Pelekāne | /ʔoːˈle.lo ˌpe.leˈkaː.ne/ (word by word) |
| ʻōlelo Pelekānia | |
| ʻōlelo haole | /ʔoːˈle.lo ˈhao̯.le/ (word by word) |
The phrase is used to name the English language.
What does it mean word for word?
The component Pelekāne refers to an English person or the English language.
Which one should you use?
ʻōlelo Pelekāne is the standard way to refer to the English language. In contrast, ʻōlelo haole is a colloquial way to refer to the English language, though 'haole' also means white or foreign. The form ʻōlelo Pelekānia is also a variation used to denote the English language.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
/ʔoːˈle.lo ˌpe.leˈkaː.ne/
Did you know?
- A common folk etymology claims haole comes from hā (breath) and ʻole (without), suggesting foreigners did not know how to breathe together during a traditional greeting.
- The word haole actually existed in the Hawaiian language long before any contact was made with Europeans.
- The variation ʻōlelo Pelekānia most likely comes from the Latin name for Britain, 'Britannia'.
Examples in context
- E 'ōlelo Pelekānia mai 'oe?Do you speak English?
- He ʻōlelo Pelekāne kēia.This is the English language.
- He maikaʻi ka ʻōlelo Pelekāne.The English language is good.
Example conversation
Ikaika and Malia are talking about their classes.
- IkaikaE aʻo ana nai oe i ka ʻōlelo Pelekāne?Are you going to study English?
- MaliaʻAe, e aʻo ana au i ka ʻōlelo Pelekāne.Yes, I am studying English.
- IkaikaHe paʻakikī kēlā papahana?Is that class difficult?
- MaliaʻAʻole, he maʻeʻa ia.No, it is easy.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “english” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (ʻōlelo, Pelekāne, haole) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Pelekāne, Pelekānia, haole, ʻōlelo, CC BY-SA 4.0.
