Why do Hawaiian words have so many vowels (A-E-I-O-U) characters per word? (Aiea: schools)

[Ericthebean]

Kauai (all vowels except the K)

Maui (all vowels except the M)

Oahu (all vowels except the H)

A Hawaiian male first name is "Iao"....all vowels

Aloha (more vowels than consonants)

Hawaii (more vowels than consonants)

[Ericthebean]

I didn't mean to post this under "big Island"...it's general hawaii

[hotzcatz]

Where's Jonah K? He'd know the answer.

Aiea - all vowels. I think it's the only town name in the nation without a consonant. Then there's always Kaaawa, which is a fun one.

I'm guessing because the Hawaiian language is done in consonant/vowel pairs and if there's more than one vowel, it's pronounced singly. I don't know of any double consonants in the Hawaiian language, it's usually a vowel/consonant pair with extra vowels separate.

[annals]

The Hawaiian language follows an open syllable structure and does not allow consonant clusters (combinations). Other languages can have syllables such as CVC (tan), CCV (pro), CCVC (clod), CCVCC (sport), etc. But in Hawaiian,the only possible syllable is CV (la) or V without any consonant (a). So the vowels are more prominent and visible:

ka-me-ha-me-ha
ma-u-ka

[OpenD]

Absent a more professional answer, my response to the OP is... because it does.

Seriously, it just grew that way. I've always wondered why German is so full of throat clearing sounds.

In the written version of ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi, the native Hawaiian language, as devised by American missionaries in the early 1800's, the alphabet was simplified in an attempt to make it easy for non-natives to learn. But if you listen to a native speaker talk for a while, especially if you have a written text to follow along on, I think you'll find that the missionaries skidded around a few corners in the process. Never the less, in their system the 5 vowels are A, E, I, O, U , and the 8 consonants are H, K, L, M, N, P, W, ' (okina) . Watch the YouTube to learn how these are pronounced.

As previously noted, with rare exceptions, you can have two vowels together, but not two consonants (and remember that 'okina is a consonant). The is what gives spoken Hawaiian a lovely rolling sound, like flowing water, as in the word hakalama, the pronunciation exercise used in schools to teach kids how to speak the Hawaiian language.

ha ka la ma na pa wa 'a
he ke le me ne pe we 'e
hi ki li mi ni pi wi 'i
ho ko lo mo no po wo 'o
hu ku lu mu nu pu wu 'u

Then the whole thing is repeated with the macron over each vowel - that's the line over a letter that denotes that it is held twice as long as usual.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JEyKemRdods

[GraceKrispy]

Added to what's been said, traditional Hawaiian words also do not END in a vowel (including the 'okina).

[OpenD]

Originally Posted by gkrispy

Added to what's been said, traditional Hawaiian words also do not END in a vowel (including the 'okina).

I think you got that backwards of what you meant to say... words don't end in a consonant, including 'okina.

[GraceKrispy]

I think you got that backwards of what you meant to say... words don't end in a consonant, including 'okina.

oh duh, I sure did! that's what I get for typing too quickly.

[Rex Chetco]

Originally Posted by gkrispy

oh duh, I sure did! that's what I get for typing too quickly.

Dyslexic digits...

RC