Mahalo
[mə-HA-loh]
Part of speech: exclamation
Origin: Hawaiian, 19th century
1.
(Mainly in Hawaii) Used to express gratitude.
Examples of Mahalo in a sentence
"I said “mahalo” to the woman who handed me a lei."
"It's easy to express mahalo at the beauty of the sunrise on our vacation."
About Mahalo
“Mahalo” appeared in English for the first time in American missionary Lorrin Andrews’ 1865 English-Hawaiian dictionary. In modern use, “mahalo” is frequently used as a Hawaiian stand-in for “thanks.”
Did you Know?
The Hawaiian word “mahalo” likely comes from the proto-Polynesian word “masalo”; both express a form of significant gratitude more firmly rooted in the culture than simply saying “thank you.” In fact, using “mahalo” to mean “thank you” is a modern innovation: In its original form, “mahalo” was more of a statement about one’s gratitude for being alive, and to other people and the natural world for coexisting alongside one another.
