Aloha – Meaning
I came across a website, while looking for the roots and deeper meaning of the word Aloha. I found the following text in an article called “THE DEEPER MEANING OF ALOHA” by Curby Rule. Below is a small portion of the article that I found. I will provide the link below, to read the full article.
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alo, 1. sharing 2. in the present
oha, joyous affection, joy,
ha, life energy, life, breath
Using Hawaiian language grammatical rules, we will translate this literally as “The joyful sharing of life energy in the present” or simply “Joyfully sharing life”.
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The Hawaiians have no word for “nature” as in the sense of “being outside in nature”, but they do have a word for “world” or “Earth”. The word is honua and it also means “background” or “foundation”. The ancient Hawaiians did not view nature as being something separate from themselves because nature was their reality. So, Where is in Nature, the foundation of our physical world.
To find the answer to Why, we must look deeper.
If we look at the root words in honua we find the word ho’o-nu a. Some of the meanings of this word are: 1. to give generously and continuously; 2. to indulge as a child; and 3. surging, rising in swells, as the sea. So, a deeper meaning of honua is that the foundation of our physical reality, Nature, is continuously and generously giving to satisfy our needs and fulfill our wishes. But here is also a meaning of give and take. Just as the rising swells of the sea recede to gain renewed energy, Nature must also “recede” to renew Itself and give strength to the foundation of our reality. So, just as Nature gives of itself to us, we must give of ourselves back to Nature.
This truth can be found in one the tellings of the creation story about Papa and Wakea, the prime Earth Mother and Sky Father.
“From the first union of Papa and Wakea, comes a male child who is born prematurely. The child is dead at birth and is buried. From his body grows a shoot that Wakea names Haloa. This shoot becomes the first taro plant. The next male child to be born is also named Haloa in honor of his dead sibling and he becomes the prime ancestor of mankind”.
Let me explain the meanings behind this story.
Haloa means “long, waving stem”. This first taro plant represents a staple of the Polynesian diet, but also all plants that grow on this earth. Haloa, also means “long breath” and on an esoteric level, “everlasting cycle.” The life and death cycle of plants sustain all creatures, including us. Plants are a source of food and medicine, and they produce the oxygen we breathe. The first human is named Haloa in honor of these plants and to remind us to honor and tend the “everlasting cycle.” The gift of life passes from a human to the plants and then back to humanity.
This story tells us that the quality of our existence is ultimately tied to Nature. Nature’s continuous transformative cycles of water, air and growth are necessary for existence. Nature is an embodiment of the meaning of Aloha, and vice versa. It is no coincidence that Aloha and Haloa are re-spellings of each other. It is in Nature that we can discover the wonder of our existence here on Earth. Where else but in Nature is the spirit of Aloha easier to experience? Its beauty is awe-inspiring and energizing and draws you into the present moment, not unlike the feelings brought on by love and joy.
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The full article is well worth the read, and provides a lot of knowledge and meaning behind the word Aloha. Read it here: https://www.huna.org/html/deeper.html
Thank you Huna from Hawaii.
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