When you watch "dog the bounty hunter", they all say "bra" at the end of their sentence. is that a hawaiian thing?
2006-08-28 13:13:06 · 9 answers · asked by tom l 3 in Travel ➔ United States ➔ Honolulu
i know it's dog's own version of "bro" or "brotha", why why with an A?? it sounds really annoying when they say it.
2006-08-28 13:20:59 · update #1
Hey, I forgot all about Dog. He is pretty dangerous with that huge pepper spray can.
Anyway, Brah or Brudda from Pidgeon is just a mis-pronunciation of the word "brother".
I am from Maui so don't really know much about other islands. Calling another "brother" is not a native Hawaiian practice. It came from the last major wave of immigrants form the Philippines Islands, where everyone is your "atol" or "tol" meaning brother. It was a way for Filipinos to identify eachother.
Currently the population of the Hawaiian island is about 80% Filipino ancestry. Finding a purely native Hawaiian is about like trying to find an Native American in Manhattan. You don't see many, but when you do they usually stand over 6'4" and weigh in over 300 pounds, just like their Tahitian ancestors. I find the use of the word "bra" a little annoying myself. The overuse of the word most likely came from the hordes of visiting surfers who visit the island each year.
BTW- Haolie does not mean "white" at least on Maui. It simply means stranger and came from Abner Hale, the first missionary to land on Maui. Eventually all strangers became Haolies. I have never heard a native Hawaiian use either of the terms "Brah" or "Haolie", but if you like TV they seem to use "Bruddah" a lot on Hawaii Five-O.
I hope this helps in your quest to uncover the history of annoying phrases.
2006-08-28 16:43:36 · answer #1 · answered by Yahoo 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Yes, it is short for "bruddah" of course, meaning "brother." Often used casually as we might use the term "bro."
If a Hawaiian male wanted to indicate a closer relation than the casual "brah," he might refer to the person as "cuz," short for cousin, no matter what the true relationship.
2006-08-28 20:21:00 · answer #2 · answered by Vince M 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It sounds annoying when haoles say bro, in fact i know of people who have got their *** kicked because of it. It sounds annoying to some locals in Hawaii when we hear "bro," it makes our skin crawl. It's a regional thing. But for the more educated ones of us we have tolerance, just like everywhere else in the world. Brah is the correct word, which is short for Bruddah, it is actually an endearing term depending on the context used. Just like Aloha & Haole, they have different meanings depending on the context it is used in. Haole means "ghost or white" I have many haole friends. I call them & say Eh! haole boy!,Howzit! That's how I greet one of my best friends. So, take it easy brah! Aloha!
2006-08-28 21:37:32 · answer #3 · answered by Maui No Ka Oi 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Maybe it's more prevalent there since the Hawaiians all believe in leaving til tomorrow what you don't have to do today.
Bra is actually a bastardized version of "brother", but just one syllable to make it easier to say, and meant to cover both sexes.
2006-08-28 20:18:25 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
I believe "bra" (or "bro") arose in the African American community as an abbreviation of the word "brother"...which in turn is an abbreviation of the phrase "soul brother".
2006-08-28 20:19:27 · answer #5 · answered by Albannach 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Nah Jamacian bra! Wow a bra for both sexes I AM impressed now!
2006-08-28 20:18:26 · answer #6 · answered by B 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
EH !!! BRAH it is BRAH with an H, a HARD H sound - - - a bra is what your wahine (women) wear to keep their gonzagas covered. Peace.
2006-08-29 05:57:04 · answer #7 · answered by JVHawai'i 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's "brah" meaning brother
2006-08-28 20:19:59 · answer #8 · answered by kenneth E 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
ya mon!
2006-08-28 20:19:28 · answer #9 · answered by Jenny A 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋