''Aloha'' ( ,
Hawaiian: �ˈlohə is the
Hawaiian word for
love,
affection,
peace,
compassion and
mercy, that is commonly used as a greeting. It has a deeper cultural and spiritual significance to
native Hawaiians, for whom the term is used to define a force that holds together existence.
The word is found in all
Polynesian languages and always with the same basic meaning of "love, compassion, sympathy, kindness."
Its use in Hawaii has a seriousness lacking in the
Tahitian and
Samoan meanings.
wrote that the "first expression" of ''aloha'' was between a parent and child.
wrote the first Hawaiian dictionary, called ''A Dictionary of the Hawaiian Language''.
In it, he describes ''aloha'' as "A word expressing different feelings: love, affection, gratitude, kindness,
pity, compassion, grief, the modern common salutation at meeting; parting". Mary Kawena Pukui and
Samuel Hoyt Elbert's ''Hawaiian Dictionary: Hawaiian-English, English-Hawaiian'' also contains a similar definition.
Anthropologist Francis Newton states that "Aloha is a complex and profound sentiment. Such emotions defy definition".
concludes that the term has "no equivalent in English".
The word aloha is hard to translate into any other language because it comprises complex ways of being and of interacting with and loving all of creation. An ethic of care and respect for all people and all elements of the land is wrapped up in aloha; it is a way of showing connection and reverence.
Queen Liliʻuokalani is known to have said, "Aloha is to learn what is not said, to see what cannot be seen, and to know the unknowable".
Another way to interpret ''aloha'' is as an energy exchange — the giving and receiving of positive energy is the spirit of aloha. As we create positive thoughts and interactions, they ripple out into the world and are merged and multiplied with the actions and energy of others. Aloha has been described as the coordination of the heart and mind to foster connectivity and peace.
The state of Hawaii introduced the Aloha Spirit law in 1986, which mandates that state officials and judges treat the public with Aloha.
The University of Hawai'i's Center for Labor Education and Research hosts the above statute of the Spirit of Aloha, which breaks down the concept into an acronym using each of the letters of the word:
"'Akahai,' meaning kindness, to be expressed with tenderness;
'Lōkahi,' meaning unity, to be expressed with harmony;
'ʻOluʻolu,' meaning agreeable, to be expressed with pleasantness;
'Haʻahaʻa,' meaning humility, to be expressed with modesty;
'Ahonui,' meaning patience, to be expressed with perseverance."
Etymology
''Aloha'' was borrowed from the Hawaiian ''aloha'' to the English language. The Hawaiian word has evolved from the
Proto-Polynesian greeting ''
*qarofa,'' which also meant "love, pity, or compassion". It is further thought to be evolved from
Proto-Oceanic root ''*qarop(-i)'' meaning "feel pity, empathy, be sorry for", which in turn descends from
Proto-Malayo-Polynesian ''*harep.''
''Aloha'' has numerous cognates in other Polynesian languages, such as ''
talofa'' in
Samoan, ''ta'alofa'' in
Tuvaluan, and ''
aro'a'' in
Cook Islands Māori. The
Māori word aroha, with
Aroha being a given name is also descended from the Proto-Polynesian root.
''Aloha'' is derived from Proto-Polynesian roots ''alo,'' meaning 'presence' or 'face' and ''ha,'' meaning 'breath,' making the literal meaning something close to 'the presence of breath.' or 'the face of breath'
See also
*
As-salamu alaykum, a greeting in Arabic that means "Peace be upon you"
*
Mahalo, a Hawaiian word meaning thanks, gratitude, admiration, praise, esteem, regards, or respects
*
Kia ora, a Māori greeting
*
Mabuhay, a Filipino greeting
*
Namaste, a customary Hindu greeting
*
ʻOhana, a Hawaiian term meaning "family"
*
Shalom, a Hebrew word meaning peace, harmony, wholeness, completeness, prosperity, welfare and tranquility
*
Talofa, a Samoan greeting
References
{{reflist
Hawaiiana
Hawaiian words and phrases
Greeting words and phrases
Parting phrases
Compassion