Hawaiian Gift- Giving

Hawaiian Gift-giving

`Ôlelo Hawai`i (Hawaiian):	`Ôlelo Haole (English):
He makana nâu. Na`u anei kêia? Nâu wale nô.	A gift for you. Is this for me? Just for you.
`Ôlelo No`eau ~ Wise Sayings
"I hele i kauhale, pa`a pû`olo i ka lima."	"In going to the houses of others, carry a package in hand." To go empty-handed is an affront and embarrassment to both host and visitor.
"He wahî pa`akai."	"Just a packet of salt." Gifts that are grown or made by the giver are the best, as it is imbued with the giver's spirit, creating a "mystic bond".
"E `ôpû ali`i."	"Have a stomach like a chief." Fig., Be kind and generous as a chief.
"`A`ohe lokomaika`i i nele i ke pâna`i."	"No kind heart lacks a reward." The Hawaiian version of the Golden Rule. If one is treated well, generously, and hospitably, the courtesy to the same extent is to be returned.
Different Kinds of Gifts
`âlana	Offering, especially a free-will offering.
`âlana aloha	Peace offering, offering of love.
`âlana kuni	Burnt offering, offering to procure death by sorcery.
ha`awina	Grant, contribution, honorarium, donation.
ho`ina	A farewell gift, especially as a parting gift after a feast.
ho`okupu	A ceremonial gift given as a sign of honor or respect, often to a chief or deity; church offering.
louulu	A betrothal gift sent from one family to another.
makana	Gift, present; reward, award, prize. Makana ka ho`i (What a gift!), sometimes said sarcastically, by an ungrateful person.
makana aloha	Gift of friendship or love; freewill offering.
makana hele	Parting gift. Lit., going gift.
`oloa	A gift to a newborn child.
pâlala / palaloa	A gift or tax given to a chief at the birth of a child; to honor a child with a gift; house-warming feast.
pani	Final gift in a ho`okupu (gift-giving as a sign of honor and respect) ceremony.
wainohia	A gift of affection.
Nâ Makana Makamae ~ Treasured Gifts
hulu	Feather, quill, plumage. Objects made of feathers were the most valuable, aesthetically and materially, and were exchanged among ali`i (royalty) and as gifts to warriors with prowess.
niho palaoa	Carved whale tooth. Rare, highly prized, worn by high chiefs. Take a look at Uncle Charlie's lei palaoa.
kâhili	Royal feather standards.
Other gifts include canoes, adzes, bowls, pieces of kapa, and fishhooks. Valued intrinsic gifts include feelings of kôkua (helpfulness), lokomaika`i (kindliness), and aloha.
Gift-giving with Aloha
hâ`awi lokomaika`i	To give freely, openhanded.
hâ`awi wale	To give freely, gratis.
ho`onu`a	Give lavishly, generously, continuously.
kahiau	To give generously or lavishly with the heart and without expectation of return.
kihikau	To give lavishly.
manuahi	Gratis, free of charge.
pâna`i	Reciprocate, whether good or bad; to pay back, reward, or revenge. Repay each gift with something at least equivalent to what is received; giving more is better.
pu`upâ	To give and receive freely.
hâ`awi manawale`a / manawale`a	Give gladly.
Pseudo-Gift-giving / Poor Etiquette
"Genuine (gift-giving) can only take place when no exchange of money is involved, or more precisely, when something is given without any thought of getting something back except the pleasure of giving and purest aloha." ~ George Hu`eu Kanahele
hâ`awi papa he`e nalu	Give for the sake of receiving a gift; trade, buy and sell.
helu	Counting. Refers to the graceless, offensive behavior of recalling past favors to get something back. The person so offended often returned the gift.
kû`ai	Trade. To return a gift immediately savored of trade, and cheapened the gift. When one had been given a gift in a bowl or dish, the container was kept for a few days before returned, filled with something.
ku`aku`ai	Give for the sake of receiving a gift; trade, buy and sell.
maua	Failure to return a gift.
Mahalo
Mahalo	"Thank you", gratitude, appreciation. There is no precise equivalent of thank you in Hawaiian.
As with Native Americans and other Polynesians, saying thank you upon receiving a gift was considered unnecessary and offensive. The unspoken grace and humility in receiving the gift "spoke" volumes. To give proper thanks for a gift, give a gift back, preferably of greater value. Each new exchange lends value, prestige and mana to all concerned, creating a positive spiraling effect generated by generosity and hospitality.
Mahalo nui loa. Mahalo â nui.	Thank you (not an exact translation) very much.
`O wau nô me ka mahalo.	I am, (yours) in gratitude.
>> Hawaiian Greetings & Sentiments

Sources:

Pukui, Mary Kawena & Elbert, Samuel H., Hawaiian Dictionary, Revised & Enlarged Edition, University Of Hawai`i Press, Honolulu, 1986.

Kanahele, George Hu`eu Stanford, KÛ KANAKA, Stand Tall, A Search for Hawaiian Values, University of Hawai`i Press, 1986.

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