The grammatical construction and the organism of the language are,
however, somewhat different. It is very soft and harmonious, for
syllables are generally composed of two letters and never more than
three, and every word and syllable terminates in a vowel. There are
neither sibilants nor double consonants, and if there is a consonantal
termination it is either dropped or a vowel is added for the sake of
euphony. The most remarkable peculiarity of the language is that
whole sentences can be formed of words exclusively composed of
vowel sounds. Thus e i at oe ia ae e 00 ia, literally translated
means, "Speak now to him by the side that he may learn." K
predominates over all other consonants, which increases the vigour
and energy of expression. The language is deficient in abstract terms ;
there is no word for nature, enemy, gratitude, virtue, colour and
numerous other abstract ideas. Many Hebrew and Greek words have
been introduced, where no equivalent terms could be applied from
the native idiom in the translation of the Bible. The language has
been reduced to writing by the missionaries, and the Eoman character
has been adopted. All Hawaiian words are expressed by the aid of
five vowels and twelve consonants. F, g, s and z have been added
to give expression to foreign words, technical as well as religious,
that have been introduced. L and r, and k and t are interchangeable,
and the natives cannot distinguish one from the other. Thus kalo
sounds to them like taro and vice versa. Objects are distinctly
marked in the individual and in the general sense by the definite
and indefinite articles he and ke or ka ; the last is used before most
of the words, and lie before words commencing with the initial letter
t. Nouns have no inflection ; and gender, number and case are

1 The large sugar and rice plantations belong chiefly to Americans or Europeans,
and the articles exported are mostly supplied by the white settlers.
