Bernard · English boy’s name

Bernard in Hawaiian is Pelenaka

The form Hawaiian speakers have written since the 1800s, when B became P, D became K, R became L, a vowel was slipped between the consonants that ran together, and a vowel was added at the end.

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peh·leh·NAH·kah

The gold syllable takes the stress.

What is Bernard in Hawaiian?

Bernard is Pelenaka in Hawaiian, said peh-leh-NAH-kah.

How Bernard became Pelenaka

Hawaiian is written with thirteen letters, so in Bernard B became P, D became K, R became L, a vowel was slipped between the consonants that ran together, and a vowel was added at the end. Hawaiian does not run two consonants together, and every syllable ends on a vowel. A Hawaiian word cannot finish on a consonant, which is where the last vowel comes from.

How to say Pelenaka

Say it peh-leh-NAH-kah, leaning on NAH, sounding every vowel: e as in “bet”, a as in “father”. The pronunciation guide covers the whole system.

Sources the Pukui and Elbert Hawaiian Dictionary, Place Names of Hawaii, Nānā i ke Kumu, wehewehe.org, Wiktionary's Hawaiian given names and U.S. Social Security baby-name records. How this site is compiled · Send a correction

Questions people ask

What is Bernard in Hawaiian?

Bernard is Pelenaka in Hawaiian, pronounced peh-leh-NAH-kah. It is the form used in Hawaiian-language records since the 1800s.

How do you pronounce Pelenaka?

peh-leh-NAH-kah, with the stress on NAH.

Why does Pelenaka look so different from Bernard?

Each sound Hawaiian lacks was swapped for the nearest one it has. In Bernard, B became P, D became K, R became L, a vowel was slipped between the consonants that ran together, and a vowel was added at the end.

Is Pelenaka a real Hawaiian name?

Yes, as a borrowed name. Hawaiian families have used Pelenaka since the 1800s, but it is Bernard respelled, not a name built from Hawaiian words.

All 164 English names in Hawaiian · Hawaiian boy's names