{"id":191469,"date":"2024-02-06T15:31:03","date_gmt":"2024-02-07T01:31:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/?p=191469"},"modified":"2024-03-04T12:12:00","modified_gmt":"2024-03-04T22:12:00","slug":"hawaiian-word-30-year-journey","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/2024\/02\/06\/hawaiian-word-30-year-journey\/","title":{"rendered":"Tune in: Hawaiian word of the day\u2019s 30-year journey"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading time: <\/span> 2<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>
\"Leilani
Leilani Poliʻahu<\/span> Kamalani<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

***Pepeluali (February) marks Mahina ʻŌlelo<\/span> Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> or Hawaiian Language Month<\/em><\/p>\n

Every weekday, Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> Public Radio (HPR<\/abbr>) listeners are greeted by a familiar and lively Hawaiian guitar strum that marks the beginning of a 30-second Hawaiian language lesson. The popular ʻōlelo<\/span> Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> (Hawaiian language) segment features a Hawaiian word of the day<\/a>, a staple on HPR<\/abbr> since 1994 and will mark its 30th anniversary this July. Hosted by Leilani Poliʻahu<\/span>, a University of Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> at Mānoa alumna<\/a>, the series explores ʻōlelo<\/span> (words) encompassing everyday objects, people and places in Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span>. Interestingly, Poliʻahu<\/span> assumed the role of the series\u2019 voice while she was a haumāna (student) at the Mānoa campus.<\/p>\n

“Radio seemed less intimidating than TV<\/abbr> because nobody has to see you, they just hear your voice,” said Poliʻahu<\/span>.<\/p>\n

From classroom to airwaves<\/h2>\n
\"Newspaper
(From right) File: 1994, Poliʻahu<\/span> and UH<\/abbr> Mānoa student Kumulāʻau<\/span> Sing read the news in Hawaiian at HPR<\/abbr>. (Credit: Ka Wai Ola News, Office of Hawaiian Affairs)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Poliʻahu<\/span>, who now carries her husband\u2019s surname of Kamalani, recalled the idea to launch an ʻōlelo<\/span> of the day segment stemmed from Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> musician Keith Haugen who was taking Hawaiian language classes with her at UH<\/abbr> Mānoa. Haugen proposed the segment, along with a brief ʻōlelo<\/span> Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> newscast, to HPR. The result was the debut of “Ke Aolama” in January 1994, featuring five-minute long news reads narrated by UH<\/abbr> Mānoa Hawaiian language students such as Poliʻahu<\/span> and Tammy Hailiʻōpua<\/span> Baker. Baker went on to become a UH<\/abbr> Mānoa kumu ʻōlelo<\/span> Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> (Hawaiian language teacher) and an award-winning director of the university\u2019s first-ever Hawaiian theatre<\/a> program.<\/p>\n