Pidgin English

What do they speak in Hawaii? Most locals speak a form of pidgin English, a language unique to the islands. Pidgin is a blend of Hawaiian, English and the other languages that came into the islands with people from all the cultures of the world, but mostly those of the Pacific. Pidgin is not slang. It's a rich language with its own grammar and vocabulary, and, like any living language, it's constantly changing. I try to give a flavor of pidgin in my stories. Moon Ito, for example, speaks pidgin. But I can only give a flavor. If you want to read a collection of short stories written entirely in pidgin, check out Lee A. Tonouchi's DA WORD, published by Bamboo Ridge Press. You going buss laff at dese kine stories, brah. An' sistah, too. Guarans ball bearins. For pidgin in small doses, check on the e-Hawaii link. Shaka, brah!