Thursday, September 10, 2009

Nipo

1.  To yearn for; to be in love with; to love, desire, long for.
2.  Drowsy, languid, sleepy.

       Ah, surely we have all experienced nipo at one time or another...maybe even a few times!  This yearning or desire for a loved one must have been highly regarded by Hawaiians because there are several "yearning" type words, such as ʻiʻini, ake, and hoʻohihi.
        If you put hoʻo- in front of nipo, hoʻonipo, then it means to make love, court, woo, yearn for.  This word is quite powerful and pretty straightforward.  Use it well.
        Interesting to note that nipo also means drowsy or sleepy, perhaps because of all the sleep we lose when we can think of nothing else but that special someone.

ʻO ka holu nape a ka lau o ka niu, hoʻonipo ana lā i ke ehu kai - swaying, dipping of the coconut fronds, making love in the sea spray.

E hoʻi i kapili e kuʻu ipo, e neneʻe mai, e nanea mai, e ke aloha, e hoʻonipo kāua - Let's get back together, my sweetheart, move closer, relax and enjoy, my beloved, and let's make love (from Kealiʻi Reichel's E Hoʻi i ka Pili)

No comments:

Post a Comment