ON SPANISH LOANWORDS AND LOANBLENDS IN HAWAl'I CREOLE ENGLISH

Authors

Robert N. Smead, Brigham Young UniversityFollow

Abstract

Hawai'i Creole English (HCE) has been the object of much linguistic research. Virtually all researchers agree that its principal lexical sources include English, Hawaiian, and Japanese. Other languages, such as Chinese and Portuguese, have also contributed. To elate, however, few sources have considered Spanish as an important lexical source for HCE. The research reported herein attempts to remedy that oversight by considering ten putative loanwords and loanblends thought to derive from Spanish. These include ethnic markers associated with and local dishes brought by Filipino and Puerto Rican immigrants in the early twentieth century. By documenting cultural traditions and consulting authoritative sources, I conclude that eight of the ten items reported on are unquestionably of Spanish language origin . By also employing survey methodology, I observe that five of the ten terms are used or recognized by at least half of my thirty-three respondents, attesting to their vitality in HCE.

Recommended Citation

Smead, Robert N. (2013) "ON SPANISH LOANWORDS AND LOANBLENDS IN HAWAl'I CREOLE ENGLISH," Pacific Studies Journal: Vol. 36: No. 3, Article 3.
Available at: https://digitalcollections.byuh.edu/pacific-studies-journal/vol36/iss3/3