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
