The origins of the Hawaiian word aloha are unclear. The word goes back to the very origins of Hawaii to Kahiki (the homeland) and even further. The word is found in all Polynesian languages and always with the same basic meaning of: love, compassion, sympathy and kindness. Its beginnings may be seen in the Maori definition as "love of kin ''. Mary Kawena Pukui wrote that the "first expression '' of aloha was between a parent and child. The word has become a part of the English vocabulary in an awkward misuse. The Oxford English Dictionary defines the word as a "greeting '' like "welcome '' and "farewell '' using a number of examples dating back as far as 1798.
what is the meaning of aloha in english
a "greeting '' like "welcome '' and "farewell ''