Skip to main content

Mahalo

Aloha & Mahalo
[Pronounced: ah loh' hah & mah hah' loh]
pronunciation guide
If you learn just two words in Hawaiian, learn these. They are two of the most important words in the Hawaiian language, representing paramount Hawaiian values.
In Hawaiian thinking, words have mana [pronounced: mah' nah], meaning spiritual or divine power], and aloha and mahalo are among the most sacred and powerful.
Say them often as they can be life-transforming and -enhancing. Be careful to use them ONLY if you truly feel mahalo or aloha within. Do not exploit these words for personal gain, and neither cheapen, nor trivialize their use by verbalizing them carelessly or without sincerity.
Aloha and mahalo are ineffable, indescribable, and undefinable with words alone; to be understood, they must be experienced.
Deeper meaning and sacredness is hinted at by the root words of these words. Linguists differ in their opinions as to the exact meanings and origins, but this is what was told to me by my kupuna (elder):
On a spiritual level, aloha is an invocation of the Divine and mahalo is a Divine blessing. Both are acknowledgments of the Divinity that dwells within and without.
Aloha
[Alo = presence, front, face] + [hâ = breath]
"The presence of (Divine) Breath."
Mahalo
[Ma = In] + [hâ = breath] + [alo = presence, front, face]
"(May you be) in (Divine) Breath."
Think of them as single-word blessings or prayers.
The following are dictionary definitions using English words, which are approximate translations, at best:*
 
Aloha. 1. Aloha, love, affection, compassion, mercy, sympathy, pity, kindness, sentiment, grace, charity; greeting, salutation, regards; sweetheart, lover, lover, loved one; beloved, loving, kind, compassionate, charitable, lovable; to love, be fond of; to show kindness, mercy, pity, charity, affection; to venerate; to remember with affection; to greet, to hail. Greetings! Hello! Good-by! Farewell! Alas!
    • Aloha `oe!
      [ah loh' hah oe!]
      May you be loved or greeted!
      Farewell or greetings to one person.
    • Aloha kâua!
      [ah loh' hah KAH'oo (w)ah!]
      May there be friendship or love between us!
      Greetings to you and me!
    • Aloha kâkou!
      [ah loh' hah KAH' kou!]
      same as above, but to more than one person.
    • Ke aloha nô!
      [ah loh hah NOH']
      Aloha indeed!
    • Aloha!
      [ Ah loh' hah!]
      Greetings!"
"Mahalo. 1. Thanks, gratitude; to thank.
    • Mahalo nui loa.
      [mah hah' loh noo'(w)ee loh'(w)ah]
      Thanks very much.  
    • `Ôlelo mahalo
      [OH' leh loh mah hah' loh]
      compliment
    • Mahalo â nui
      [mah hah' loh (W)AH' noo'(w)ee]
      Thanks very much.
2. Admiration, praise, esteem, regards, respects; to admire, praise, appreciate.
    • `O wau nô me ka mahalo,
      [oh vau NOH' meh kah mah hah'loh]
      I am, [yours] respectfully,
    • Ka mea i mahalo `ia, Laki
      [kah meh'(y)ah ee mah hah'loh ee'(y)ah, lah' kee]
      The esteemed Laki."
*Source: Pukui, Mary Kawena & Elbert, Samuel H., HAWAIIAN DICTIONARY, University of Hawai`i Press, Honolulu, 1986.
One of the most frequently requested translations is:
Aloha au iâ `oe.
[ah loh' hah vau' ee (Y)AH' oe]
I love you.
 
Ke aloha nô me ka mahalo kâua!
Aloha indeed with mahalo to you and me!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Films, Motion Pictures & MOVIES!

Immediately, by my use of the term "movies", you know I am not a Film Snob.  I also did not grow up in the era before "movies".  Even as I write this, Blogger is questioning my use of the term by underlining it with a red squiggly line, but that's what I call them, movies!  So, sue me if you don't like it. People used to only see celebrities in still shots printed in magazines before the age of television.  Then, they would go see them at the "movie theater", after hearing about it on the radio.  Nobody ever called them Film Theatres, did they?  The word "film" is really a description of the medium by which we are enabled to view "movies" rather than it being a description of the experience of watching still pictures transformed into motion.  So, I'm sticking with "movies", but I am not opposed to calling them motion pictures.  For the "purists" out there that insist on using the word "film...
Post a Comment
Read more
The Beauty of the Internet                                          In the last few days, I have received four marriage proposals from women on the Internet.  For some reason a website called Tagged is chock full of beauties who don't to have English as their native tongue, and they desperately want to be in a committed relationship, or marriage.  Usually, I ignore these things, but I was bored, so I decided to have some fun.  I couldn't resist.  I mean when a beauty like this shows up on your computer screen, telling you she wants to spend the rest of her life with you and she’s even willing to live in a tent, then you have to appreciate the humility of it all, and say come and get me! As you may know, I am still homeless, but I am working now.  It’s just that during the last pay period, I o...
Post a Comment
Read more

Irma

Well folks, I made it to the stage for Rabbit Box at the Foundry on Wednesday night! What a great experience that was after dreading it for the month prior. I started by telling them that it was just another dose of public humiliation... and I started off with a laugh I didn't know I was going to get! It ended well too landing on exactly eight minutes with a CHEER for an announcement I had made as to success after failure! Much of life is made of hope and disappointment, but it is also made up of fear and relief. Kinda like what happened with Irma when Harvey had already caused the damage in Houston, Irma suddenly appeared with two others Jose and Katia! For a minute there it seemed like we were doomed! Katia hit Mexico and has dissipated to a tropical storm with 40 a mile winds while Jose drifted back out to sea, but is not setting its sites on the same Caribbean islands that have just suffered Irmas wrath. Buckle your seat belts people! This is shaping up to be a very intens...
Post a Comment
Read more