Interrogatives
No wai
Fornander Example
Hawaiian:
Ia Au-kele-nui-aiku e uwe ana me nā mākua, lohe aku la nā kaikuaʻana ʻo Au-kele-nui-aiku e heʻenalu ana, i kēia pihe e uwe ana, nīnau aʻe la: “No wai la kēia pihe e uwe nei?” “No Aukelenuiaiku.”
English:
As Aukelenuiaʻiku was weeping together with his parents, the older brothers heard Aukelenuiaku while surfing this wailing and crying, and asked: For whom is this crying and wailing? Aukelenuiaʻiku.
Hawaiian Template:
Ia [Name/Subject] e [action] ana me nā [group/companions], lohe akula nā [group/others] o [Name/Subject] e [different action] ana, i kēia [sound/effect] e [verb/action] ana, nīnau akula: “No wai lā kēia [sound/effect] e [verb/action] nei?” “No [Name/Subject].”
English Template:
As [Name/Subject] was [action] with [group/companions], [group/others] of [Name/Subject], who were [different action], heard the [sound/effect] and asked, “To whom does this [sound/effect] belong?” “It is [Name/Subject].”
Drumming Example:
Hawaiian:
Ia Leilani e pahu ana me nā hoaaloha, lohe akula nā hoa noho o ke kaiāulu e hele ana ma ke ala, i kēia kani pahu e pā ana, nīnau akula: “No wai lā kēia kani pahu e pā nei?” “No ke kaiāulu.”
English:
As Leilani was drumming with her friends, the neighbors of the community, who were walking along the path, heard the drumming and asked, “For whom is this drumming being played?” “For the community.”
Singing Example:
Hawaiian:
Ia Lehua e hīmeni ana me nā hoa, lohe akula nā malihini o ka pāʻina e noho ana ma ke kahakai, i kēia leo e hīmeni ana, nīnau akula: “No wai lā kēia leo e hīmeni nei?” “No nā malihini kipa.”
English:
As Lehua was singing with her friends, the guests at the party, who were sitting on the beach, heard the singing and asked, “For whom is this singing?” “For the guests.”
Reading Example:
Hawaiian:
Ia Mālama e heluhelu ana me nā haumāna, lohe akula nā mākua e noho ana ma ka hale kula, i kēia leo heluhelu e lohe ʻia ana, nīnau akula: “No wai lā kēia leo e heluhelu nei?” “No nā keiki.”
English:
As Mālama was reading with the students, the parents, who were sitting at the school, heard the sound of reading and asked, “For whom is this reading?” “For the children.”
Fishing Example:
Hawaiian:
Ia Kimo e lawaiʻa ana me nā hoa, lohe akula nā kamaʻāina e holoholo ana ma ke kahakai, i kēia pihe hauʻoli e hīmeni ana, nīnau akula: “No wai lā kēia pihe hauʻoli e hīmeni nei?” “No nā iʻa i loaʻa.”
English:
As Kimo was fishing with his friends, the locals, who were strolling along the beach, heard this joyful singing and asked, “For whom is this joyful singing?” “For the fish that were caught.”
Definition of Wai from wehewehewikiwiki
5. interrogative pronoun, Who, whom, whose, what (animate antecedents).
Examples:
ʻO wai! Who?
ʻO wai kou inoa? What is your name?
ʻO wai ia? Who is he? (angrily) Who does he think he is?
Ko wai, kā wai? Whose?
Ko wai kēia pāpale? Whose hat is this?
Ko wai kēlā kaʻa? Whose car is that?
Ka wai penikala kēnā? Whose pencil is that?
Ka wai kokeleka ma ke pākaukau? Whose chocolate is on the table?
No wai? For or in honor of whom?
No wai kau lei? For whom is the lei (you made)?
No wai kēlā makana? For who is that gift?
Na wai? By whom?
Na wai kāu puke? By whom is your book?
Iā wai to whom?
Iā wai ʻoe i kamaʻilio ai? To whom did you speak?
Na wai nō i ʻōlelo iā ʻoe e hele malaila? Who told you to go there?
Notes from Hawaiian Grammar Pukui & Elbert on Wai
"8.6 NOUNS AND SUBSTITUTES
'O Kimo ke kumu. (subj.)
Jim the teacher
'Jim is the teacher.'
'O wai ke kumu? (subj.)
who the teacher
'Who's the teacher?'
'O Kimo ko'u inoa. (subj.)
Jim my name
'Jim is my name.'
'O wai kou inoa? (subj.)
who your name
'What's your name?'"
Wai is glossed 'what?' in the question 'O wai kou inoa? 'What is your name?'
Otherwise the glosses are 'who?' or 'whom?'
'O wai? 'Who?'
Na wai? 'By whom?
For whom?' Iā wai? 'To whom?'
Notes from Andrews on Wai
Wai in the 'aui has generally the o emphatic owai? It is applied most generally, if not universally to persons or to the names of things, and not to things themselves. A Hawaiian always says, o wai kona inoa? lit. who is his name? and not heaha kona inoa? what, is his name? thus, what is the name of that tree? must lie rendered in Hawaiian, o wai ka inoa o ia laau? who the name, etc.
§157. Examples of Interrogatives.
Owai ka mea hale maanei? who has a house here? ma 'ane'i
Ma ka aina owai? on the land of whom?
Wahi a wai? the saying of whom? who said so?
Ko wai ka laau? whose is the timber?
No wai ka moku? for whom is the ship? whose the ship
Ka wai ka palapala? whose is the book? puke = modern word for book
Na wai ke keiki? to whom belongs the child?
Haawi i ke kapa ia wai? he gave the garment to whom?
Ma o wai la i hoouna aku ai? by whom did he send it?
Mai wai mai keia makana? from whom is this present?
Me wai oe i holo ai? with whom did you sail?
Ua hanaia e wai? it was done by whom?