Hawaiian Language

Hawaii · Polynesian · endangered languages · culture

Native to Hawaii. Hawaiian is the language that the Hawaiian people have spoken for hundreds of years on the islands of Hawaii. It comes from the Polynesian language family, which means it is related to languages spoken across the Pacific Ocean on other islands.

Official language. Hawaiian is one of the two official languages of the state of Hawaii, along with English. This means it has special importance and protection under Hawaiian law.

Historic constitution. King Kamehameha III created the first Hawaiian-language constitution in 1839 and 1840, which showed how important the language was to the Hawaiian government and people.

Critically endangered. Today, Hawaiian is a critically endangered language, which means very few people speak it compared to the past. People and organizations are working hard to teach it to new generations to keep it alive.

Polynesian roots. Hawaiian belongs to the Austronesian language family, a huge group of languages spoken across the Pacific and Indian Oceans by millions of people.