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