updated: 2/27/2026
The earliest Hawaiian word lists
David Samwell's List
(1779)
| After sailing to the northwest coast of America, the two ships of the Cook expedition returned to Hawai`i, mostly lying at anchor from January 17 to February 22, 1779 at Kealakekua Bay. David Samwell was surgeon on the Discovery, a position he assumed after William Anderson's death. He was apparently interested in capturing the essence of Polynesian poetry, and his journal, more than any other, describes the lighthearted side of the voyage. In his diary entry for February 4, near the end of a long description of customs and material culture, Samwell touched on the topic of language, mentioning the similarity of Hawaiian to Tahitian and promising: 'A specimen of it will be hereafter given.' However, Cook's death on February 14 provided a much more urgent matter for diarists to describe. But the promised specimen of the language appears after a description of people and events at Niʻihau in the entry for March 14, 1779 — the day before they left the island. It remained in manuscript form until Beaglehole published his edition of Cook's third voyage in 1967. adapted from Albert J. Schütz, "Voices of Eden" p. 35. |
analyzed and annotated by Laiana Wong
click on column heading to sort
| num. | list word | modern Hawaiian | list gloss |
|---|---|---|---|
| 28. | A-a-o | ao | day |
| 84. | Aboo | ipu | small Cava Dish |
| 38. | acaca | ʻakaʻaka | to laugh |
| 33. | ai | ʻai | eat |
| 63. | Aina | ʻāina | an Island or Country |
| 100. | ano | anu | cold |
| 135. | aouree ete | ʻaʻole ʻike | I dont know |
| 103. | a-owree | ʻaʻole | No! |
| 47. | apaw | a pau; ua pau | no more |
| 74. | Apo-nora | apō no (The -ra could be lā ʻday’) | to night |
| 54. | Aree | aliʻi | a Chief |
| 59. | aroha outow! | aloha ʻoukou | friendly Salutation |
| 64. | Ava | awa (ʻharbour’) | a Bay |
| 107. | Ava pooee | ʻawapuhi | Ginger |
| 31. | Awai | ʻauwae | the Chin |
| 94. | Awheroa | e weloa (ʻaʻohe loa ʻnot in the least’?) | I don't hear you |
| 133. | aw-whea? | ʻauhea | where? |
| 14. | Capooai | kapuaʻi (ʻsole of foot, footprint’) | Foot |
| 117. | chonee | e honi | to smell |
| 102. | Coocooee | kukui | Light or Candle |
| 2. | Coomakā | kuʻemaka | Eyebrows |
| 125. | doroo | kolu | three (3) |
| 119. | eenoo | ʻino | bad |
| 114. | Eereeo | ʻīlio | a Dog |
| 72. | Ehada | e haki; hahaʻi | to break |
| 48. | ehanee | he aha nei? | what's this? |
| 43. | Eharee | he hale | a House |
| 80. | e-he-a? | ʻehia | How many? |
| 106. | Ehone | he one | sand |
| 46. | eia | ʻike; eia (ʻhere’) | to understand |
| 112. | Eia | he iʻa | Fish |
| 4. | Eihoo | ihu | Nose |
| 97. | ei-ia | eia | here |
| 99. | eiraro | i lalo | below |
| 131. | eiva | ʻeiwa | nine (9) |
| 141. | Eraw | he lāʻau | Wood |
| 77. | Erei | he lei | feather'd Necklace |
| 98. | eroona | i luna | above |
| 51. | evaho | e waho | to go out |
| 126. | ha | hā | four (4) |
| 3. | Hamaka | he maka | Eyes |
| 70. | Hamatana | he makana | a Present |
| 81. | hanaw | hānau | born |
| 76. | Haoo oora | ʻahuʻula | feather'd Cloaks |
| 134. | hare-hea | hele i hea | where are you going? |
| 13. | Havavahe | he wāwae | Leg |
| 116. | He pea pea | he peʻapeʻa (ʻfilthy, unclean’) | the Pox [ditto] |
| 129. | heidoo | hiku | seven (7) |
| 139. | Hekai | he kai | the Sea |
| 23. | Hekane | he kāne | Husband |
| 18. | Hekooa | he kua | Back |
| 53. | Hemairee | Hemaʻili (proper name) | a Chief |
| 78. | Hemaro | he malo (ʻloin cloth’) | thick Cloth |
| 27. | Hepo | he pō | night |
| 10. | Hepoocaiho | he pukaihu | Nostrils |
| 42. | Hepoore | he pule (ʻpray’) | to sing |
| 26. | Herah | he lā | the Sun |
| 93. | Hereireira | hele laila | let's go there |
| 11. | Hererhehe | he lehelehe | Lips |
| 8. | Herero | he alelo | Tongue |
| 115. | Herore | he lole (ʻdepigmentation’) | the Pox |
| 73. | Heroro | he lōlō (ʻnumb, paralysed’) | dumb |
| 109. | Heroro | he lolo | the Brain |
| 25. | Hevai | he wai | Water |
| 108. | Hew whe | uhi | Tattawing |
| 39. | Hewe | uwē | to cry |
| 79. | Hew-ooraw | he o lole? (heu ʻula ʻghost fibers’?) | thin Cloth |
| 86. | Hewrooh | he ʻulu | round stones for bowling |
| 50. | Hoa | hoa (ʻto bind, tie’) | a Comb |
| 87. | Hobe | hope (ʻthe last child’?) | a Boy |
| 34. | Hooawai | huawai (ʻbottle’. also huewai.) | drink |
| 61. | Hoowai | ʻuwehe | open the Door |
| 22. | Kanaka | kanaka | a Man |
| 55. | Kawa | kauā (ʻoutcast, slave’) | common fellow |
| 68. | Keige kanee | keiki kāne | a Son |
| 69. | Keige Waheine | kaikamahine | a Daughter |
| 65. | Keonee | kūono (ke one? ʻbeach, sand’) | a Bay [ditto] |
| 15. | Koorecoore | kulikuli | Knee |
| 75. | Maheoree | mahiole | feather'd Caps |
| 20. | Maioo | maiʻao | fingrernails |
| 118. | maitai | maikaʻi | good |
| 21. | Manamanarema | manamana lima (finger) | Thumb |
| 120. | manee | mani (ʻsmooth’) | fine |
| 113. | Manoo | manu | Birds |
| 101. | maramarama | malamalama | Light |
| 37. | Matte | make | to kill |
| 66. | Medooa kanee | makua kāne | a Father |
| 67. | Medooawaheine | makuahine [makua(wa)hine] | Mother |
| 121. | mee-e | miʻi | fine [ditto] |
| 111. | Meenōh | manō | a Shark |
| 35. | moco moco | mokomoko | fight |
| 32. | Moi | moe | to sleep |
| 40. | Nana | nānā | to look |
| 5. | Neeho | niho | Teeth |
| 142. | Neeoo | niu | cocoanuts |
| 62. | No | mō ? (sometime short for moku) | an Island |
| 56. | Noa | noa | common fellow |
| 44. | nuee | nui | large |
| 105. | Ocara | ʻo kēlā (ʻthat one’) | him |
| 136. | oi | ʻoe (singular) | you |
| 128. | onoo | ono | six (6) |
| 45. | oogoo | ʻuku; ʻuʻuku | small |
| 17. | Oomawma | umauma | Breast |
| 132. | oome | ʻumi | ten (10) |
| 6. | Oome oome | ʻumiʻumi | Beard |
| 16. | Oowha | ʻūhā | Thigh |
| 41. | Orero | ʻōlelo | to speak |
| 57. | oro | holo (ʻgo fast’) | to go |
| 58. | oro mogoo | holo moku (simplified) | the Ship goes away |
| 82. | Ourooah | ʻuluā | Cava bowl with Images |
| 92. | Owai tou e noa? | ʻo wai kou inoa | whats your name? |
| 49. | Pahoo | pahu | a Drum |
| 140. | Pakai | paʻakai | Salt |
| 9. | Paparena | papālina | Cheek |
| 60. | paw ekee ahee | pau i ke ahi | burnt |
| 89. | Peahe | peʻahi | a Fan |
| 36. | pepehe | pepehi | beat or kill |
| 7. | Pepeiaw | pepeiao | Ear |
| 91. | peremai | pēlā mai (ʻin that way -here’) | pull to |
| 19. | Poheive | poʻohiwi | Shoulder |
| 110. | Poohakoo | pōhaku (ʻstone’) | Lava |
| 29. | Poorema | pūlima (ʻwrist, cuff’. apolima ʻbracelet’) | a Bracelet |
| 96. | poota | puka | a Hole |
| 1. | Raw-oho | lauoho | Hair |
| 127. | rema | lima | five (5) |
| 12. | Remarema | limalima | Arm |
| 85. | rero | lilo | to sell |
| 95. | rhea | laulā (ākea ?) | wide |
| 124. | rooa | lua | two (2) |
| 123. | tahe | ʻekāhi | one (1) |
| 90. | Taheeree | kahili (Oahu dial.) | fly flap |
| 88. | Taitooana | kaikuaʻana | a Brother |
| 83. | Tanoa | kānoa | Common one |
| 104. | Tawmaha | kaumaha | heavy |
| 143. | To | kō | Sugar Cane |
| 30. | Toiee | koʻi | a Hatchet |
| 71. | Too boo | -kupu (ʻtax, tribute’) | a Present [ditto] |
| 138. | Uta | uka | the Shore |
| 130. | varoo | walu | eight (8) |
| 24. | Waheine | wahine | Woman |
| 137. | waw | wau | I |
| 122. | waw-whe | (wāwae ʻleg’) | to go away |
| 52. | wora | ola; ua ola | alive |
REFERENCES
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