Book excerpt: A Dictionary of Hawaiian Legal Land-Terms is the first reference book of its kind to compile, organize, and explain critical information needed for the accurate translation and interpretation of nineteenth-century Hawaiian land-conveyance documents. Neither life-long residents nor recent newcomers should minimize the influence of Hawaii's unique history on the developments taking place in the state today. Yet for decades the study and translation of century-old documents - Royal Patents, Land Commission Awards, and deeds, to name a few - have been hampered by the lack of a comprehensive research tool. Now, in a single volume, readers have an overview of commonly used words and phrases, survey practices, and documents that were recorded in Hawaiian before the turn of the century. The book also includes Hawaii's appellate cases that have defined such terms. With the publication of A Dictionary of Hawaiian Legal Land-Terms, both professionals and non-professionals, Hawaiians and non-Hawaiians, have gained a valuable key to unlocking and understanding the past.