Aloha (pronounced [əˈlo.hə]) in the Hawaiian language means affection, peace, compassion, and mercy. Since the middle of the 19th century, it also has come to be used as an English greeting to say goodbye and hello
The word is found in all Polynesian languages and always with the same basic meaning of "love, compassion, sympathy, kindness", although the use in Hawaii has a seriousness lacking in the Tahitian and Samoan meanings.
Mary Kawena Pukui wrote that the "first expression" of aloha was between a parent and child.
The Oxford English Dictionary defined the word as a greeting like "welcome" and "farewell", using a number of examples dating back as far as 1798 and up to 1978 where it was defined as a substitute for "welcome"
«Ало́ха» (гав. Aloha — любить, сочувствовать, жалеть) — распространённое гавайское слово, которое используется в разных языках для обозначения одновременно:
- приветствие (пожелание добра и мира)
- прощание (пожелание добра и мира)
- пожелание радости и любви.