"I Ka Po Me Ke 'Ao"
language, the foundation of culture.
What does "KaLeoAloha" mean? Well it is a word built from smaller words within the hawaiian language. In hawaiian "ka" (pronounced "kuh") is simply "the". The word "leo" (pronounced "leyoh") means, "voice". "Aloha," as we all know means aloha! "Aloha " means "hello" doesn't it ? or "Goodbye"?, jeez it gets confusing! So what does aloha mean ? well certainly it means: hello, goodbye, I love you and and a plethora of other things depending on tone of voice, or whatever other contextual* usage we may have heard on "Hawai'i five-O" Right ? Well, Yah and Nah.
At this point it may be wise if not prudent to consult an authority. Since it is not possible for most of us to just "pop in" on our neighborhood native Hawaiian speaker, most of us will have to resort to a more accesses able and (unfortunately) more academic resource for answers. It is about now that we might discover the exhaustive resource of linguistic info provided by the Hawaiian dictionary by "Puku'i and Elbert", which I will refer to here forth, as the "Haw.dic". While on the side track of Hawaiiana references there is no question that the Puku'i haw.dic is the #1 resource for language. However a second and perfect companion is "Place names of Hawai'i" also researched and published by "puku'i and Elbert" The "Haw Dic." defines aloha as: aloha, love, affection, compassion, mercy, sympathy, pity, kindness, sentiment, grace, charity, greeting, salutation, regards; sweetheart, lover, loved one, to love, to be fond of, .etc. We get within this, the "Haw Dic." a plethora of words "trying" to describe what aloha is/ means. I suggest another way to reference the word using the same "Haw Dic."
First off, let's break the word aloha down and see if like, kaleoaloha the word aloha is not perhaps made up of smaller Haw. words. In the "haw dic." the word "alo" is defined as: alo. n. front, face, presence, upper surface. I m u of the word alo: is simply - the face, facade' or appearance of someone or something. A persons alo is that which they present, as their outward projection. The word "Ha", well now there's a beauty: the "Haw Dic." defines the word with four basic contexts, the number and pertinence to the number four (more on this latter), the stalk/ stem of the "kalo" leaf (more on this latter). An endemic plant/ tree which was used as a utilitarian plant in the dying of bark cloth. Last but certainly not by any means the least of the contexts, is a breath, or to breathe, but with a distinctive emphasis on the breath, as the proverbial "breath of life".
Aloha I m o means the "facade, face or appearance, of the breath of life". Inmo* the word aloha is so broad and generalized in it's english interpretation/ translation because english is a very poor language for speaking of things spiritual/ heartfelt ! In short I would say the word aloha is like the word/ phrase namaste', "I recognize the (same) breath of life within you as I have within, and wish to present from me". We will return to the word aloha and it's meaning however this is the lead up to the explanation of the word/ title:
In short "KaLeoAloha" means "The Voice of Aloha"
