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Hey Local Guy!

I have noticed that when locals speak, they always say "cannot" instead of "can't," and perhaps other contractions as well. It sounds so formal, especially for people whose speech patterns are generally so casual. Any ideas or brilliant insights on this?
Herb Lady

Sista Herb Lady,
Thank you for your question regarding contractions, compound modifiers, and prepositional phrases so many of us locals HATED in elementary school. Remember, there is no set formula when it comes to our beautiful language. I'm sure "can't" is used quite often in Pidgin circles away from what you have been exposed to.
For the sake of your question, let's examine the following phrase: "I 'wen try fo climb da tree, but I cannot because I just pau eat." Standard English translation: "I was not able to climb the tree, because I was full from that sandwich I just ate." To the untrained pidgin eye, it may seem like a pretty straightforward pidgin statement. To the pidgin purist however, it could be said in several different ways. Here's one: "I no could climb da tree, 'cause I just pau eat." Or maybe even "I 'wen try fo climb the tree, but I no can 'cause I just pau eat." Unlike your "standard" English, there are no clear rules or standards in Pidgin. All of those examples I just provided can work anywhere in Hawai'i.
Let me try and place your example into the sentence. "I 'wen try climb da tree, but I can't because I just pau eat." Guess what? That works too. Pidgin English is a beautiful calabash full of seemingly misplaced words, tenses, modifiers, verbs, pronouns and so on. However, it is all ours, and it has worked for generations.
Sista, you going drive yourself crazy trying to place rules on the language of us locals. Also remember, the Pidgin you hear in Ka'u or Hanapepe will be quite different from the Pidgin you hear in Kailua-Kona or Mililani for that matter - and that's okay too. Remember, to fully understand our beautiful local tongue, you gotta look at it from one whole different lens. No look at it from the lens and formalities of standard English, because when you do, you might find yourself wanting to "correct" what appears to be too much of "this" or not enough of "that."
Our beautiful Pidgin is what it is. It can be as formal as it is casual, funny as it is serious. If you revert back to my initial appearance in the HIJ, you will find one common Local Guy theme when it comes to our language - feel free to be critical and analytical of our Pidgin; that is cool with me. If you find yourself wanting to correct me, then you gotta step back and smell da Ka'u coffee. Acceptance is freedom. Us locals, we are who we are, and we going say 'um how we going say 'um - whether can or cannot.
Dear Local Guy,
Why don`t you tell anyone your name? Why the big secret?
Blue Velvet
Aloha Blue Velvet,
Shhh! I cannot tell you my name because Dick Cheney already in enough trouble with the CIA. I hear some of those CIA boys may still be around, but nobody know for sure cuz no can take pictures at UH-H. Be patient and one day, my children, I shall emerge.
Local Guy wants to hear from you. Email questions to localguy@hawaiiislandjournal.com.

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