(In celebration of International Play Your Ukulele Day, GeekMom's going all out for that beloved instrument!)
Oh, you grammar mavens are cringing over the possibility of an ‘ukulele, I just know it. But while you’ve probably known this tiny four-stringed instrument as a you-ka-lay-lee, that’s an anglicized version of a Hawaiian word. The Hawaiian pronunciation is oo-koo-ley-ley. Pronounce it Hawaiian style, and *‘an ‘ukulele’ *sounds just fine.
It’s a problem for someone like me, who writes frequently about Hawaii. If I write it so that it feels comfortable to me, my editor will likely think I’ve skipped Grammar 101. When I do write about ukuleles* I present the issue of pronunciation to my editor. Invariably, ‘an ‘ukulele’ is trashed for the more common ‘a ‘ukulele.’ Editorial license trumps my comfort zone.
I prefer to use the Hawaiian pronunciation because, well, it’s just more accurate. It feels right. Just as a San Franciscan may cringe to hear their city called ‘Frisco,’ I’m sure folks from Hawai‘i find ‘you-ka-lay-lee’ to be a little hard on the ears. Also more accurate? The spelling of ukulele as we're using it here on GeekMom. While many people use the word spelled U-K-E-L-E-L-E, it's again an anglicized version of the Hawaiian word. "Uku" means flea in the Hawaiian language and the ‘ukulele is said to have gotten its name for the way a player's fingers jump along the strings - like a flea. Also, note that I'm spelling ‘ukulele with an ‘okina (‘). The ‘okina may look like an upside-down apostrophe to many of you, but it's actually considered to be a part of the Hawaiian alphabet. If you're fascinated by this, I think you'll enjoy reading what Aunty Anuhea, a native Hawaiian, has to say about using the proper spelling of ‘ukulele.
Some people find the Hawaiian pronunciation or spelling of ‘ukulele to be snobbish. I can’t quite follow that train of thought, myself. It seems more respectful to me since the word is Hawaiian in origin. Of course, if you want to continue playing the you-ka-lay-lee, that’s fine by me.
It’s a contentious subject, though. My 18-year-old son is the editor and webmaster of Live ‘Ukulele. Via email, he interviewed a gentleman who used the term ‘a ‘ukulele.’ In his capacity as editor, my son changed the verbiage to* ‘a[n] ‘ukulele’* to suit his editorial style. The man in question was not happy about this and things got a little unpleasant. I understand that the changes must have felt awkward to someone who’s used to the corrupted pronunciation, but again with the editorial license. It’s like to-may-to, to-mah-to. No matter how you say it, it’s good stuff.
*Technically, that plural ‘s’ shouldn’t be there, but we’ll push one envelope at a time, ‘kay?
