Learning a little Hawai‘ian

Encouraged by my sister Nanci to learn some Hawai'ian and inspired by my sister Rita to draw a little every day, I've been using Hawai'ian Public Radio's Hawai'ian Word of the Day as a resource to learn a little Hawai'ian and as a daily drawing prompt. 

Recently, I learned the word kahawai, which means 'stream' or 'river' but actually translates to 'water that carves.'  It reminded me of a work session I attended that discussed how indigenous languages are often verb-heavy (unlike European languages, which are typically noun-heavy). The speaker shared that her Nation's word for 'circle' translates roughly as 'point that moves around (like in a circuit).' 

It highlights for me how vital language is, not just for communication, but for how we exist in and interact with the world. How foreign and nonsensical it must be for someone to claim they 'own' a kahawai. How does one own a verb?

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