Aloha: Traditions of Love and Affection

In Aloha Chun addresses the topic of love and affection and the evolution of the use of the related word, aloha. Through his research, which included the use of numerous primary sources, Malcolm Nāea Chun has found that aloha has a meaning that goes far beyond a simple greeting such as hello and goodbye. In fact, he asserts that aloha has undergone a post-contact transformation so that its original meaning is now merely a secondary meaning. He conducted his research by looking at how aloha has been used by Hawaiians before and after contact with explorers and, later, with missionaries. He followed the meaning of the word through history, looking at how it was used by Hawaiians and others, and discovering what aloha really meant in traditional Native Hawaiian culture before European visitors came ashore in 1778.