ʻŌlelo Noʻeau are Hawaiian proverbs that often offer wisdom for a person to live by. The theme for this year is Aloha - the Hawaiian term for Love. These monthly posts will show you aloha in action, in the Hawaiian context.
This one's a bit easier, and you might recognize some words from the [last ʻŌlelo Noʻeau]!
- E + [verb], here, is a type of Future Tense. Unlike the verb markers e [verb] ana, it's more of a strong suggestion or a request, but is usually still translated with "will."
- Lei = Lei, flower necklace [n]; To wear a lei [v] (read more about this usage here)
- Nō is an emphatic marker. In other words, you can translate this to mean "really" or "truly."
- Ko = Your; a poetic term used in songs and proverbs to connote affection
- Aloha = Love
All together:
I will truly wear your love as a lei.
Note:
E lei is a command, where lei is a transitive verb using i ke aloha as a Direct Object. The speaker is saying to wear (as a lei) love.
Comments