Ōlaʻi

1. earthquake, tremor. 
2. light porous stone or pumice, as used for polishing canoes or for scraping off hair of pig or dog to be roasted.

In light of the ōlaʻi that have taken place in the Pacific Ocean recently, perhaps you can find some use of today's word in your daily practice.  Ōlaʻi (with a macron over the o for stress) is an old word, as ōlaʻi are not a new phenomenon to Hawaiians.  Many ōlaʻi occur in our islands, particularly because of the activity generated by the still active volcano on Hawai'i Island.  I find it particularly interesting this word has a smaller word in it, la'i, that actually means calm or peaceful.  Perhaps this refers to the calmness that follows an earthquake, when you experience it.  I'm only speculating and using this connection as a tool to help me better remember the ōlaʻi.  As we make connections to certain words, that's how we remember them, right?

Ōla'i ikaika loa i 'ike 'ole 'ia kona lua - very strong earthquake, the like of which had never been seen before.

Halulu ka honua i ka ōla'i ē - The earth resounds because of the earthquake (from a chant by Edith Kanaka'ole)

Nei ka honua, he ōlaʻi ia
When the earth trembles, it is an earthquake.
(We know what it is by what it does)

Ua loa'a ʻelua ōla'i ma Vanuatu i kēia pule. - There were two earthquakes in Vanuatu this week.

Aia ke ōlaʻi ma Indonesia. - The earthquake was in Indonesia.

Kaiāulu

1. Community, neighborhood, village. ʻOia nō kekahi o nā kānaka waiwai nui a kūʻonoʻono ma iā mau kaiāulu, he was one of the wealthiest and most prosperous persons of these communities.
2. (Cap.) Name of a pleasant, gentle trade-wind breeze, famous in song, at Wai-ʻanae, Oʻahu. ʻOluʻolu i ka pā a ke Kaiāulu (song), cool with the touch of the Kaiāulu. Also Pua-kaiāulu.

Todayʻs He Momi is dedicated to my kaikamahine hānau ʻelua, my second born daughter, Kika. Her Hawaiian name is Kīkahakamanuikekaiāulu - the bird soars in the Waiʻanae wind, so named because at the time of her birth we were living in Waiʻanae.  And despite the fact that we moved out of Waiʻanae when Kika was still in elementary school, she still has a deep fondness for the area (as we all do). In fact, her first job after graduating from UHM with her MSW was in Waiʻanae!

For us, Kaiāulu refers to the wind of Waiʻanae, a pleasing wind, as any wind on that coast is welcomed! The song, Aloha ʻia ʻo Waiʻanae, has the line: Pā ana ka makani ke Kaiāulu, he aheahe mālie - the kaiāulu wind blows, a gentle breeze.

Kaiāulu also refers to a community or neighborhood. Noho au i ke kāiaulu o Pōhākealani - I live in the community of Pōhākealani.

Hauʻoli lā hānau e Kīkahakamanuikekaiāulu!

Puehu

1.  Scattered, dispersed, routed, gone, tousled; fine, crumbling; every which way, as hair in the wind.  2.  Peeling, as sunburn.  3.  Remainder, remnant; to remain.

    You know when you're sitting near a heap of ashes, maybe from the hibachi or a rubbish fire and then a gust of wind comes and whoooooosh, the ashes go flying all about?  That's puehu.  Or when you're riding in the car, hair all beautiful and all of a sudden someone opens a window and hair is flying all over the place, especially in your eyes?  That's puehu.

    Hopefully you haven't been peeling lately from a sunburn.  That is also puehu.  Use sunscreen!  Gee, I remember that the only thing we put on our skin way back in my youth was anykine oil to get more pāpaʻa!  Now we need to protect our skin from the harmful rays of the sun.

Ua puehu ka hulu o ka manu
 the feathers of the bird have scattered
 (Said of one who has left in a hurry)

Puehu ka lehu i nā maka o ka mea luhi
 Ashes fly into the eyes of the toiler
 (One must endure the unpleasant in order to gain the pleasant, just as the cook at a fireplace gets ashes into his eyes when he blows on the fire)

Puehu li'ili'i ka lehu o kapuahi
 The ashes of the fireplace are scattered in every direction.
 (Said of an angry person whose temper makes everybody scatter)

'Elua a puehu - two and a little over.

Ua puehu ka lehu i ka makani - the ashes were scattered in the breeze.

E puehu ana kona 'ili - Her skin is going to peel.

Piʻi

1.  to go inland (whether or not uphill, to go up, climb, ascend, mount, rise; to fall, as one shadow on another.  2.  to experience personally, or appear, as heat.

Generally in our Hawaiian islands, and many other island communities, I suppose, when you go inland you are more than likely ascending.  This word is piʻi.  When you go mountain climbing specifically, you "piʻi kuahiwi."  When the tide rises it is called "piʻi ke kai" or literally, "the sea rises."  Any form of ascending, whether it be climbing a tree or going up a bunkbed, would be called piʻi.

Piʻi is also the word used to describe a feeling that you get, particularly heat, cold, and emotion, such as  "piʻi ka wela" the heat rises, for when you get angry. No kona huhū, piʻi ka ʻōlelo ʻino - because of his anger, evil words come forth. Piʻi ke anu - to get chills (literally it means the coldness rises).   Piʻi ka ʻula - the redness rises (blushing).

Here are several ʻōlelo noʻeau using the word piʻi:

Piʻi ka ihu o ka naiʻa i ka makani - The nose of the dolphin rises toward the wind. (Said of one who is haughty.)

Piʻi mai nei i ka pali me he ʻaʻama lā - Climbs the cliff like an ʻaʻama crab (said of one who goes beyond the limit).
   

Ehu Ahiahi

The dust of evening

Aloha ahiahi!  Good evening!  Many of you may recognize ahiahi as being the Hawaiian word for evening.  And you may also know the word ʻehu (usually referring to the reddish tinge in hair). ʻEhu also refers to sea spray and dust.  In other words,ʻehu  ahiahi literally means "the dust of evening."  Otherwise known as evening twilight.  What a nice way to put it, huh?  Here's something else that seems so beautiful and is one of the reasons that I love the Hawaiian language so much. ʻEhu  ahiahi figuratively refers to old age. I think I like the idea of comparing old age to evening dust or twilight. Not a bad thought, especially since that time of day is a favorite of mine.

Ua hiki mai ka ʻehu ahiahi - Evening twilight is here (Old age has finally arrived).

Pōhai

nvi. Circle, group, as of people, trees (For. 5:287); gathering; to gather about in a circle.

How many of you are thinking of a song?  Pōhai ke aloha...  A gathering of love, encircled by love.  How magnificent.  Pōhai is this gathering of people or things into a circle.  Pōhainani is the name of a retirement home on Oʻahu.  It means to be surrounded by beauty.  Isn't that a wonderful name for a home filled with kupuna?

Pōhai ka manu ma luna, he iʻa ko lalo - When the birds circle above, there are fish below.

Pōhai ka neki lewa i ka makani - Surrounded by the reeds that sway in the breeze. (Said of one handsome and graceful of movement)

Aʻo

instruction, teaching, learning, to learn, teach, instruct, train, tutor, coach

The thing that I find most interesting and peculiar about today's "momi" that is SO different from English is that in Hawaiian the word for "to learn" is the same word for "to teach." And you don't really stop to think about it, but the best way to learn something is to actually teach it. That is aʻo.

I took Hawaiian for three years in high school and four years in college but never really could use it like I wanted to, just did well on the tests and speeches because you can study for that. But how did I finally learn to actually communicate in Hawaiian? I taught my babies! Yup, not much you need to say to an infant and a toddler (want to eat? don't do that!), and as my children got older my abilities had to get better in order to keep up the conversation! It was great! The intricacies of any fine art are best learned when it is taught to someone else. Want to learn more about Hawaiian history? Give someone else a reason to want to learn it and teach it to them. If you think you're good at something, try teaching it to someone else. that will show how good you really are.

This reminds me of one of my favorite ʻōlelo noʻeau:

Ma ka hana ka ʻike - in doing, one knows

E lawe i ka aʻo a e mālama, a e ʻoi mau ka naʻauao - He who takes his learning and applies it increases his knowledge.