Alohas

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A Hawaiian greeting or farewell expressing love and affection
2. A term often used to convey feelings of warmth and compassion towards others
3. A cultural expression embodying the spirit of kindness and connection within the community

Etymology: "Alohas" is simply the plural of "aloha," the Hawaiian word meaning "love," which English borrowed as a greeting and farewell. The plural is used when speaking of several such greetings or of many instances of the word itself. The root of "aloha" reaches far back. Its ancestor, the Proto-Polynesian "qarofa," shared the broader Austronesian family of languages, and the word spread across the Pacific with Polynesian speakers. "Aroha," the Māori word for love or compassion, and "aropa," a related term in other Polynesian languages, are doublets of Hawaiian "aloha," meaning they descend from the same ancestral word and diverged as the languages separated.

Synonyms: greetings, hellos, welcomes

Antonyms: farewells, goodbyes