On the living room wall of the house we stayed at on Oahu there hung framed picture of Hawaii’s state fish. It’s a species of reef triggerfish that Hawaiian’s call the humuhumunukunukuapuaa. I was trying to sound it out when Laura’s great uncle came to my aid.
Bob: The trick with speaking Hawaiian is to break the word down into bite-size syllables. For example, the state fish is a mouthful until you break it down into humu-humu-nuku-nuku-apu-a’a.
Me: Humu-humu-nuku-nuku-apu-a’a. Got it.
Bob: Great, let’s try another. I’ll say the letters, you tell me the word they form.
Me: Okay.
Bob: P-I.
Me: Pie
Bob: P-E
Me: Peh
Bob: L-I
Me: Lee
Bob: N-E
Me: Neh
Bob: Great. Now put them all together and what’s the Hawaiian word?
Me: Pie – Peh – Lee – Neh… piepehleeneh!
Bob: (with a huge grin) Close, but in Hawaii we call it a pipeline. You main-landers always fall for that one!