Aloha in all Polynesian languages and always with the same basic meaning of: love, compassion, sympathy and kindness although the use in Hawaii has a seriousness lacking in the Tahitian and Samoan meanings. Its beginnings may be seen in the Maori definition as "love of kin". Mary Kawena Pukui wrote that the "first expression" of "aloha" was between a parent and child. The word has become a part of the English vocabulary in an awkward misuse. The term is now part of English vocabulary. "The Oxford English Dictionary" defined the word as a "greeting" like "welcome" and "farewell" using a number
Thai greeting where Hinduism and Buddhism is or has been widely practiced. In Bali the greeting word spoken during the sembah is "om swastiastu", which is equivalent to "sawatdee" in Thai. Both originated from the Sanskrit "svasti". In Sanskrit "svasti" means "safe, happy, and prosperous", and "astu" means "hopefully". Thus "Om Swastiastu" means: "Oh God, I hope all goodness (safety, happiness, and prosperity) comes from all directions." In Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar, similar greetings—called "nop" (ນົບ), "sampeah" (), "Mingalar Par" ( မဂၤလာပါ), respectively—are also in use. In Malaysia and Brunei, it was historically used to convey thanks or salutations to a patron