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illustration Mahalo

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.

illustration Mahalo

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