Pono () is a Hawaiian word commonly rendered as "

righteousness Righteousness is the quality or state of being morally correct and justifiable. It can be considered synonymous with "rightness" or being "upright". It can be found in Indian religions and Abrahamic traditions, among other religions, as a theologi ...

". For instance, the

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...

state motto: '' Ua Mau ke Ea o ka Āina i ka Pono'' or "The sovereignty of the land is perpetuated in righteousness". ''Pono'' is a notably polysemous term.

Mary Kawena Pukui Mary Abigail Kawenaulaokalaniahiiakaikapoliopele Naleilehuaapele Wiggin Pukui (20 April 1895 – 21 May 1986), known as Kawena, was a Hawaiian scholar, author, composer, hula expert, and educator. Life Pukui was born on April 20, 1895, in her ...

's and

Samuel Hoyt Elbert Samuel Hoyt Elbert (8 August 1907 – 14 May 1997) was an American linguist who made major contributions to Hawaiian and Polynesian lexicography and ethnography. Born on a farm in Des Moines, Iowa, to Hugh and Ethelind Elbert, Sam grew up ridin ...

's Hawaiian dictionary gives six meanings and 83 English

translation Translation is the communication of the meaning of a source-language text by means of an equivalent target-language text. The English language draws a terminological distinction (which does not exist in every language) between ''transla ...

equivalents. # ''nvs''. Goodness, uprightness, morality, moral qualities, correct or proper procedure, excellence, well-being, prosperity, welfare, benefit, behalf, equity, sake, true condition or nature, duty; moral, fitting, proper, righteous, right, upright, just, virtuous, fair, beneficial, successful, in perfect order, accurate, correct, eased, relieved; should, ought, must, necessary. # ''vs''. Completely, properly, rightly, well, exactly, carefully, satisfactorily, much (an intensifier). # ''n''. Property, resources, assets, fortune, belongings, equipment, household goods, furniture, gear of any kind, possessions, accessories, necessities. # ''n''. Use, purpose, plan. # ''n''. Hope. # ''vs''. Careless, informal, improper, any kind of (preceding a stem).Pukui, Mary Kawena & Elbert, Samuel H. (1986
''Hawaiian Dictionary''
Honolulu: University of Hawai'i Press. pp. 340–1. Note that usage examples are omitted. The word has strong

cultural Culture () is an umbrella term which encompasses the social behavior, institutions, and norms found in human societies, as well as the knowledge, beliefs, arts, laws, customs, capabilities, and habits of the individuals in these groups.T ...

and spiritual connotations of "a state of harmony or balance", and is the aim of the Hoʻoponopono practice. Pono is often used as in affirmative prayers, especially within

Kanaka Maoli Native Hawaiians (also known as Indigenous Hawaiians, Kānaka Maoli, Aboriginal Hawaiians, First Hawaiians, or simply Hawaiians) ( haw, kānaka, , , and ), are the indigenous ethnic group of Polynesian people of the Hawaiian Islands. Hawa ...

healing arts and the

Hawaiian Sovereignty Movement The Hawaiian sovereignty movement ( haw, ke ea Hawaiʻi), is a grassroots political and cultural campaign to re-establish an autonomous or independent nation or kingdom of Hawaii due to desire for sovereignty, self-determination, and self-gove ...

Footnotes

References

*Chun, Malcolm Naea. 2006. ''Pono: The Way of Living''. University of Hawaii. *Fuchs, Lawrence H. 1961. ''Hawaii Pono: A Social History''. Harcourt, Brace & World. Hawaiiana Hawaiian words and phrases {{Hawaii-stub