aroha
1. (verb) (-ina,-tia) to love, feel pity, feel concern for, feel compassion, empathise.
Aroha ana ngā tangi a ō mātou wāhine (HM 4/2009:1). / The crying of our women was heart-rending.
Synonyms: whakaaroha, kūwata, whakaipo, kanehe, ipo, pohane, murimuri aroha, kūata, taupuhi
2. (modifier) loving, affectionate, caring, compassionate, kindly, sympathetic, benevolent.
Kātahi ka pātai mai ki a au, he aha tōku hiahia. Kātahi au ka whakautu atu, kia ūhia te whakaaro aroha ki runga katoa i ngā taitama nei (HP 1991:292). / Then he asked me what I wanted. I responded that these youths should all be shown compassion.
3. (noun) affection, sympathy, charity, compassion, love, empathy.
He nui ngā whakaputanga o te aroha. He atawhai, he manaaki manuhiri, he āwhina, he whakaaro, he muru hara, he mananui ki ngā hē o te tangata, he matapō ki ngā hē o ērā atu (RK 1994:51). / There are many expressions of love, including caring, giving hospitality to visitors, helping, being considerate, forgiving sins, putting up with someone's errors, and being blind to the faults of others.
Tērā tātau e rongo kei te tuwha haere a Henare i ana hipi, i ana kau ki a Ngāti Porou, hei kaihaukai māna ki tōna iwi, he nui nō tōna aroha! (TP 7/1900:8). / We have heard that, because of his charity, Henare is distributing his sheep and cows to Ngāti Porou as feasts for his people.
See also aroha nui