Before Colonization
How many Indigenous Australian languages existed before colonization?
Over 250 languages.
How many vowels does Hawaiian have?
Five (a, e, i, o, u).
Is Hawaiian analytic or agglutinative?
Analytic — it uses small helper words, not endings.
What are the two types of possession in Hawaiian?
A-class and O-class.
What does “Aloha” mean besides “hello”?
Love, peace, and compassion.
What was the largest Aboriginal language family?
Pama–Nyungan family
What is a unique sound feature of Australian languages?
They lack f, s, and ch sounds.
How does Hawaiian show plural nouns?
By adding nā or mau before the noun.
Which class is used for “house” or “car”?
A-class (things you can own or control)
What organization works to preserve Australian Indigenous languages?
AIATSIS.
Which area in Australia had the most linguistic diversity?
The northern region (non-Pama-Nyungan area).
What is the rule for Hawaiian syllables?
Every syllable must end with a vowel.
What is an example of a borrowed English word adapted to Hawaiian?
→ Christmas → Kilikimaka.
Which class is used for “mother” or “name”?
O-class (things you can’t control).
How is Hawaiian being revived today?
Through immersion schools, media, and education.
What influenced Torres Strait Island languages?
Contact with Austronesian and Papuan languages.
What symbol marks long vowels in Hawaiian?
The macron (kahakō).
Why are vowels added to loanwords in Hawaiian?
Because Hawaiian syllables can’t end with consonants or have clusters.
What is the basic word order in Hawaiian?
Verb–Subject–Object (VSO).
What do Hawaiian directionals like mai and aku show?
Movement — mai means toward, aku means away
What did the National Indigenous Languages Survey discover?
Only about 145 Aboriginal languages remain, and most are endangered.
What are diphthongs in Hawaiian?
Two vowel sounds blended in one syllable (like “au” in Kauai).
What does reduplication in Hawaiian do?
It shows repetition or intensity, like lele-lele meaning “to keep jumping.”
What are the Hawaiian tense markers?
→ ua (past/completed), ke…nei (present/ongoing), e (future/command), ʻaʻole (negative), mai (negative command).
What do both Hawaiian and Aboriginal languages reveal about their cultures?
They show a deep connection to nature — land for Australians, ocean for Hawaiians.