APPENDIX. 
475 
The short sound of i in bit, seldom occurs, and the long sound 
of i in wine is expressed by the diphthong ai; 0 , as o in no and 
mote; U, as u in rude, or oo in moon. Several of the conso¬ 
nants are interchangeable, particularly the l and r, the b and p, 
t and k. There are no silent letters. I have known a native, 
acquainted with the power of the letters, spell a word, when it 
has been correctly pronounced, though he had never seen it 
written; for in pronouncing a word, it is necessary to pronounce 
every letter of which it is composed. 
Articles. —They have two articles, definite (he) and indefinite 
(he or ha,) answering to the English the and a or an. The articles 
precede the nouns to which they belong. 
Nouns. —The nouns undergo no inflection, or change of termi¬ 
nation, the number, case, and gender, being denoted by distinct 
words or particles prefixed or added. Hence o, which is only the 
sign of the nominative, has been usually placed before Tahiti and 
Hawaii, making Otaheiti and Owhyhee, though the o is no part 
of the word any more than no the sign of the possessive, as ?io 
Hawaii, of Hawaii, and i the sign of the objective, as i Hawaii, 
to Hawaii. 
Pronouns. —The scheme of pronouns is copious and precise, 
having not only a singular, dual, and plural number, but a double 
dual and plural; the first including the speaker and spoken to, 
as thou and /, and ye and I; the second, the speaker and party 
spoken of, as he and I, and they and I. Each of these combina¬ 
tions is clearly expressed by a distinct pronoun. The following 
specimen will convey some idea of their extent and peculiarity. 
Declension of Hawaiian Pronouns exemplified. 
First Person Singular. 
Nom. 
Owau 
Wau 
Au 
Na’u 
O’u 
I (am) the teacher 
I said ■ 
I (will) go 
I (will) work 
I will do it, or make it. 
I (do) not know 
