Pidgin

The Largest Surfing Encyclopedia

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A-Z: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

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What? You no speak da kine? When local guys in Hawaii are rousting you, or threatening you in some weird language you don't understand, that language is pidgin. Pidgin is the street language of the Hawaiian Islands and other islands in the Pacific, where a variety of European, Asian and native cultures mix. In linguistic terms, pidgin is a simplified version of some language, often augmented by features from other languages. A pidgin typically arises in colonial situations and is used solely as a trade language. Unlike Creoles, pidgins do not have native speakers.

Pidgin is then a sort of slang, while a Creole is a full-fledged language. Hawaiian pidgin is a dialect that has evolved over the past 200 years from all the mixing ethnicities intermingling in the Hawaiian Islands. Hawaiian pidgin combines Hawaiian, Japanese, Filipino, Chinese, English and Portuguese and is essentially "street" Hawaiian. Pidgin is how local people talk to each other to show they are local. And, true to Hawaii, pidgin is a language that puts across a maximum amount of meaning with minimal words.

For example, in the southern and urban parts of the United States, the following statement: "Hey, motherfucker. You lookin' at me? You lookin' at me! You want me to come over there and kick your ass?" translated into pidgin would come out like this, "What? Boddha you? Want beef?" Same message, same threat, five words.

Pidgin is a funny, witty, ironic and sometimes beautiful slang when spoken by people who should be speaking it (see Brock Little). On the other hand, there are few things more annoying than someone who is not from Hawaii trying to fit in by speaking pidgin. (See Turtle in North Shore: The Movie.)

Until recently, the Hawaiian school system has gone to great lengths to keep pidgin out of the schools and formal learning. Recently, Hawaiian author Lois-Ann Yamanaka has led a fight to establish pidgin English as a legitimate language, similar to the ebonics campaign in Oakland. The Hawaiian school system banned Yamanaka's award-winning short story collection, Saturday Night at the Pahala Theatre. "The official reason it was censored was because of profanity, but I think the silent reason is that it was written in pidgin," Yamanaka said. In "Wild Meat", Yamanaka wrote about a teacher who exemplified the anti-pidgin mentality prevalent in the Hawaiian school system. "No one will want to give you a job. You sound uneducated. You will be looked down upon... DO NOT speak pidgin. You will only be hurting yourself," she wrote.

Although reviled in the schools and businesses of Hawaii, pidgin is alive and well on the streets and beaches and chicken fights of the Hawaiian Islands. If you are not a native Hawaiian, do yourself and everyone around you a favor and don't try to pick it up. You'll only sound silly. On the other hand, if you're lucky to be around some Hawaiian surfers when they're in the mood, be prepared for some conversation that would put Shakespeare to shame.

Following are some pidgin expressions, borrowed from www.hisurf.com/Pidgin.html and the definitive (classic) text on Hawaiian pidgin, Pidgin to da Max! (www.aloha-hawaii.com/pidgin/pidgin.html).

An den: What happened next, "And then?"
Ala-alas (all-uh-ALL-uhz): The family jewels. "Wow, da guy when keeck mah ala-alas! Ah t'ought da buggah going bus'!"
Brah/bruddah: Similar to "brother" or "pal" in slang. Example: "Eh, brah!"
Buggah: This could be a guy, girl or thing. Connotation could be a friend or pest, depending on the tone of voice and how the word is being used.
Bussum out: I want some, share with me.
Da kine: Versatile word used to replace words that can't be remembered or are unknown while you are speaking.
Fo' what?: Why? How come?
Fo' real?: Are you sure?
Garans: guaranteed
Grind: to eat
Haaah?: Pidgin for "Sorry, I didn't hear you."
Hele on: Let's go, get moving.
Howzit: How are you?
Kay den: OK then, if that's the way you want it.
Li'dat (lah-DAT): Like that. Used to explain something you don't want to bother explaining.
Moke: big, tough local
Pau: finished
Talk story: conversation at length
Whaddsdascoops: What's going on?
What, wot: "You like staht somet'ing?" Often used with like beef or boddah you. "What? Like beef?" 2. Attention-getter. Used before a question. "What, Marie, you no mo' date tonight?" -- Ben Marcus, October 2000

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