A word of many meanings.
Firstly, as most people know, aloha is a greeting. As fewer people know, it is also a way to say goodbye. But aloha means more than this. Aloha forms a sort of acronym or acrostic for the best qualities of the Hawai’ian people. As defined by The Aloha Spirit Law* (1986), they are:
akahai - meaning kindness to be expressed with tenderness.
lokahi - meaning unity, to be expressed with harmony.
olu’olu - meaning agreeable, to be expressed with pleasantness.
ha’aha’a - meaning humility, to be expressed with modesty.
ahonui - meaning patience, to be expressed with perseverance.
As an additional bonus meaning, aloha can be broken down into the root words alo - space - and ha - breath. Thus aloha can be translated as an invitation to “share my breath, share my space”.
A greeting, a farewell, an invitation, and a philosophy of life all in one word. Nifty.
*
Section 5-7.5, Hawai'i Revised Statutes. In it “the legislature, governor, lieutenant governor, executive officers of each department, the chief justice, associate justices, and judges of the appellate, circuit, and district courts” are instructed to practice the virtues of akahai, lokahi, olu’olu, ha’aha’a, and ahonui.
Sources:
December 2002 National Geographic
http://www.geocities.com/~olelo/alohaspiritlaw.html
http://www.mauivisitor.com/fast_aloha.html
http://www.huna.org/html/deeper.html