Saturday, September 20, 2008

Oh no! Own oh! Ono!

Hawai'i has two official state languages ...english... it is a US state... and Hawai'ian. Sadly, in a year 2000 census the state population of native Hawai'ian speakers was under 0.1% of the statewide population. Hawai'ian is not to be confused with a more widely spoken form of english technically called "Hawaiian Creole English" which developed from pidgin English and is often called simply "pidgin" (or Hawaiian Pidgin).

A handy guide to Pidgin and local terms appears in the fantatic/essential Wizard Publishing books. The word that the books use the most is probably the most essential: Ono. Note that Ono is another name for the scombrid fish, wahoo - a prize game fish that should appear on a menu before your Hawaiian visit is over. [ You can watch some Hawaiian fishermen reel in and club a monstorous 89.5 lb Ono. ]

An adjective meaing delicious, tastes good (as in good tasting food), Ono is a word that you just may be using so frequently you'll find that you're speaking another language.

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