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.
- Aliʻi = Chief, ruler
- Aloha = Love
- Kilohana = The kilohana is a decorated portion of a special kapa blanket, so the meaning extends figuratively to mean "best, superior, excellent," and in this case, "prize" - a thing that's more noticeable and beautiful than all the rest.
- Paʻa = To hold, something grabbed in the hand
- e [verb] ai = here, a verb phrase acting as an adjective describing the noun paʻa. E __ ai are Simple Present Tense and Future Tense markers in situations like these (i.e., when the verb is not the main verb of the sentence).
All together:
Love is a chief, a prize that is held. Love is a rule, it is a superior thing to be held. Note: Paʻa is often used to mean "to hold" or "being held." For example: He ʻāpala kaʻu e paʻa nei ("I have a apple that is being held," that is, "I am holding an apple.")
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