We wave "aloha" to #MahinaʻŌleloHawaiʻi today, but never to ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi! www.aidanem.com/word-family-... - ThreadSky

About ThreadSky

wordfamilyfriday.bsky.social • 6 hours ago

We wave "aloha" to #MahinaʻŌleloHawaiʻi today, but never to ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi!

https://www.aidanem.com/word-family-aloha.html

Comments

wordfamilyfriday.bsky.social•6 hours ago

There is disagreement whether Oceanic word: "to be fond of, to feel empathy for" is properly reconstructed as with an <*l>, making it a likely derivative of Austronesian <*qalǝp>: "to beckon, to wave", or with an <*r>, and thus presumably a separate root.

wordfamilyfriday.bsky.social•6 hours ago

In Polynesian languages it becomes particularly confusing—first, the almost complete merger of <*r> and <*l>; second, the common practice in Polynesian languages of using "love, compassion" as a salutation.

wordfamilyfriday.bsky.social•6 hours ago

You could even imagine that the merger of "wave to" and "feel compassion for" drives the development of the salutation.

wordfamilyfriday.bsky.social•6 hours ago

The resemblance to <*qarop>: "front, face" is most likely just an accident of the merger of Malayo-Polynesian <*d> and <*r>.

(Though there is some precedent for semantic shift between "face" and various emotions.)

wordfamilyfriday.bsky.social•6 hours ago

A major overhaul of the family. Originally produced in compassion for Nuku'alofa and Tonga after the eruption there
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2022_Hunga_Tonga%E2%80%93Hunga_Ha%CA%BBapai_eruption_and_tsunami

Posting Rules

Be respectful to others
No spam or self-promotion
Stay on topic
Follow Bluesky's terms of service

Comments

Posting Rules

Reply