r/Honolulu • u/twiggy848 • 2h ago
Maile pronounciation
Hello!
My parents named me Maile back in 88 and weve always pronounced it "My-lee". I learned today that that is from the colonizers and that its actually "My-lay".
My mothers family has been here for over 100 years, however I am mixed and grew up on the east coast. Dont even know if Hapa is politically correct anymore.
Im feeling very conflicted. I want to respect the culture, but having to change my pronounciation and correct others feels bizarre to me. Its a small difference in enunciation but if it didnt matter, I wouldnt get corrected.
Am i missing something? Im confused about my family, i dont think they mean any harm but i also find it difficult to believe that they didnt know.
Does the community have thoughts about this?
Thanks š