Hawaiian Terms Used in Voyaging

Terms for the Crew of the Canoe (from Oral History, Language and Ceremony Committee, NHCAP, Bishop Museum)

• 'aukai: travel by sea; sailor
• 'aumoana: travel on the ocean; sailor
• hoe wa'a: paddler
• holokahiki: sail to foreign lands; sailor
• holomoana: sail on the ocean; sailor
• holomoku: sail on a ship; sailor
• ho'okele or ho'okele wa'a: steersman and navigator
• kamahele: traveler
• kapena: from English word for "Captain"
• kilo or kilo hoku: "star-gazer," navigator

Canoe commands (Compiled by Carlos Andrade, Chad Baybayan, Ben Finney, David Kawika Kapahulehua, Palani Kelly, Kiki Mookini, Dick Rhodes, and Keli'i Tau'a)

• 'alu: to slack, loosen; 'alu na pe'a: ease the sheets to let the wind out of the sails
• 'awala: pull in steadily on a line
• emi mai ka la!: lower the sail!
• hapa'i: lift
• hauhoa: to tie, lash, bind
• hi'pu'u: tie a knot
• hoe kawele: paddle moderately or slowly
• homa: hold a canoe on course in rough seas
• ho'olala: turn aside out of one's course
• ho'ololi ka pe'a: change the sail
• ho'olana: refloat a canoe after swamping
• ho'omakaukau: get ready!
• ho'omalo: make taut, as a cord or a sail
• ho'omau: keep it up; steady as you go; continue; persist
• ho'opa'a: make fast, firm, tight, solid; to bind; to hold fast to
• ho'opae: go ashore
• ho'opahu'a: move sidewise (against the wind); sail windward
• huki: pull on a line
• huli i lalo: turn downwind
• huli i luna: turn upwind
• huli 'ao'ao: turn to one side; lean to one side; when sailing it is sometimes necessary to get the crew weight to the windward side to keep the vessel close-hauled
• huli hope: turn back v huli pau: capsize
• ka'alalo: sail downwind v ka'aluna: sail upwind
• ka i na liu: bail water out of the bilge
• kokua: help
• ku!: Stop!
• lana: be moored or anchored
• maika'i: good; well done
• naki'i: to tie
• nana: check, look
• pa'a: secured, tight, solid
• pani ka pe'a: close the sail
• piho, or piholo: swamped; flounder
• poholua: billow out, as sails
• une: use the paddles as a lever to change the heading of a vessel
• 'u'u: drew in a line to hoist a sail
• wehe ka pe'a: open the sail