Pidgin is a dialect of English spoken in the Hawaiian Islands. It consists of the
shortening of many words commonly used in everyday English speech. Some examples
include, da (the), odda (other), Tre (meaning tree and three), bra (anyone you know), da
kine (anything you don't know), cus (any friend), and many others. Pidgin has it's social
barriers as well. It is primarily spoken in the lower class neighborhoods consisting of the
Hawaiians and the Filipinos. The dialect has been associated with the members of these
neighborhoods and their problems, such as, alcoholism, illiteracy, and a poor standard of
living. I come from a diverse family background, my mother is Scottish, English, Italian,
French, and much more. My father is part Hawaiian and part Scottish. Being such I have
to choose which lifestyle is right for me. There is a tug-a-war between the Hawaiian part
of me and the Haole part of me.
Hawaiian Archipelago - Ka Pae `Aina O Hawai`i Nei ...
Satellite view of Hawaii archipellago (USA). FranÃ...
English: Satellite composition of the Hawaiian isl...The two cultures that I consider myself, Scottish and
Hawaiian, are both proud, interesting, and contain their own prescriptions toward
behavior. The pidgin dialect is a major part of life in the lower class Hawaiian
neighborhoods. For most children in these neighborhoods it is the language spoken at
home. The other people of the islands look at this dialect as a sign of a poor education
and up-bringing. My mother did not want her son associated with such a group of
individuals.
When I started school at Maunawili School and began to pick up Pidgin and start
to speak it at home she took it upon herself to change me. At this time she was teaching
sixth grade at Keolu Elementary. She saw how her kids could not speak proper English,
only Pidgin. Many of them also wrote in Pidgin, something I had begun to do.