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