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- i live in hawaii....what more do you need to know?
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!
COOKIES
This is for all the Italians out there, and those who are lucky enough to be married to an Italian, and even to all the friends of Italians.
An elderly Italian man lay dying in his bed. While suffering the agonies of
impending death, he suddenly smelled the aroma of his favorite Italian
anisette sprinkle cookies wafting up the stairs. Gathering his remaining
strength, he lifted himself from the bed.
Leaning against the wall, he slowly made his way out of the bedroom, and
with even greater effort, gripping the railing with both hands he crawled
downstairs. With labored breath, he leaned against the door frame, gazing
into the kitchen. Were it not for death's agony, he would have thought
himself already in heaven.
For there, spread out upon waxed paper on the kitchen table were literally
hundreds of his favorite anisette sprinkled cookies. Was it heaven ? Or was
it one final act of heroic love from his devoted Italian wife of sixty years
seeing to it that he left this world a happy man?
Mustering one great final effort, he threw himself towards the table,
landing on his knees in a crumpled posture. His parched lips parted, the
wondrous taste of the cookie was already in his mouth, seemingly bringing
him back to life.
The aged and withered hand trembled on its way to a cookie at the edge of
the table, when it was suddenly smacked with a spatula by his wife.
'Get outta here!" she shouted, 'They're for the funeral!'
Bevy's Blog
wild hair
Posted on May 26th, 2008 at 9:45pm —
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