The ʻŌkina: Encountering it beyond the handwritten and spoken world. On a keyboard.
ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi
In the Hawaiian language, the okina is a symbol that represents a glottal stop. The symbol is commonly used in Hawaiian words and is found in other Polynesian languages as well under different names.
A study of using the symbol outside of Hawaii. At times, I’ve used it correctly and other times, incorrectly. However, I’ve experienced a heightened awareness of the glottal stop after leaving the space it was created. Below is a video showing you how to type it on a computer. Showcasing my experience with trying to type it, then realizing that this keyboard in front of me does not have it. In a way, I’m restricted to this linear form of communicating. I needed to learn a code to put in this computer to tell it, that what is at hand in front of me does not suffice…I need it to decipher the steps Iʻve gone through to add this symbol.
If you want to type in Hawaiian on your Mac or Macbook computer, the process is very simple. Press COMMAND + SPACE and type "Keyboard" and press Enter. Check the box to show the language icon, then click the + and add Hawaiian. To switch from Traditional English to Hawaiian, use the flag icon on the top right of the screen. To type the okina, simply use the apostrophe key. to type the kahako (the line over the vowels) hold the ALT/OPTION key and then press the vowel you want. for capital letters, use ALT/OPTION + SHIFT + the vowel. If youʻre typing a document using both English and Hawaiian, you can hold RIGHT ALT when pressing the apostrophe key for a regular apostrophe instead of an ʻōkina, that way you donʻt have to constantly switch between language input modes.
