You’ll notice a change in how we spell Hawaiʻi and other Native Hawaiian words at The Seattle Times. Let us explain why.
Many readers picture Hawaiʻi as a dream vacation destination that can be reached by a six-hour nonstop flight from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.
But the island state is also the homeland of the Kānaka Maoli (Native Hawaiian) people and the birthplace of ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi, or the Hawaiian language. In the present day, that Indigenous language largely embraces two important diacritical marks: the ʻokina and the kahakō.
A diacritic generally indicates how a word should be pronounced. The ʻokina is a glottal stop, or a brief pause, and the kahakō is a macron, or a prolonged sound. In ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi, diacritical marks also help convey proper meaning, especially for those of us who aren’t native speakers.
One oft-cited example is the Hawaiian word “pau”: Pau translates to “finished,” but pa‘u means “smudge,” pa‘ū means “damp” and pā‘ū means “skirt.” The diacritical marks make all the difference to the meaning.
They apply to common place names, too, including the islands of Hawaiʻi, Oʻahu, Kauaʻi, Molokaʻi, Lānaʻi, Niʻihau and Kahoʻolawe. Only Maui lacks a diacritical mark (and the word “Hawaiian” doesn’t use one either).
So what does this mean for The Seattle Times?
Our newspaper’s style is constantly evolving, guided by a style committee that focuses on inclusive uses of language. As one of the largest newspapers on the West Coast, we already use diacritical marks in some words, including in Spanish and in the Indigenous language of Lushootseed. Now we’ve built a clearer understanding of the Hawaiian language in the newsroom and made the decision to use the Hawaiian diacritical marks in all relevant future stories.
That’s for a number of reasons, but the prevailing one is this: Washington state has one of the nation’s largest Native Hawaiian populations, it’s growing over time, and the Hawaiian language is seeing a resurgence. As we continue our coverage, we’re ensuring our language is correct and modern.
Over 680,000 people identified as Native Hawaiian alone or in combination with other ethnicities in the 2020 U.S. Census, yet only 47% of Native Hawaiians resided on Hawaiʻi that year.
The majority don’t live on the islands, and Washington has welcomed them — so much so that the organization Hawaiian Diaspora is based here.
Washington has the third-largest population of Native Hawaiians, at almost 5%, behind Hawaiʻi, at 47%, and California, at 14%, according to the U.S. Census. In particular, King and Pierce counties claim high concentrations of Native Hawaiians.
We aren’t the first media outlet to opt for the use of Hawaiian diacritical marks, either: HAWAIʻI Magazine announced its decision to incorporate them in 2020, and Honolulu Civil Beat followed earlier this year. Ka Wai Ola, the Office of Hawaiian Affairs’ monthly magazine, does the same.
Now, The Seattle Times will, too.