Hoʻonani i ka Makua Mau
Our Hawaiian word of the week is “praise God from whom all blessings flow.”
Let’s learn the Hawaiian words of the first line of this doxology, or hymn of praise.
Hoʻonani i ka Makua Mau,
Praise God from whom all blessings flow,
Ho’onani
Ho’onani means praise!
Say that with me, Ho’onani.
HO-OH-NAH-NEE
How you sign that is you point to your chin and then clap twice.
In the
“I ka” means “In the.”
“I” is “In.” “Ka” is “the.”
Say that with me, “ee- kah”
EE KAH
How you sign that is— you take your non dominate hand and make an “Oh” shape. Take your other hand and make the same OH shape and put it in.
“I ka”
Makua
Makua means “parent.”
Say that with me, MAH-KOO-AH
MAH-KOO-AH
The way you sign this is you take your thumb and tap your chin, then tap your forehead.
“Makua”
Mau
Mau means to repeat over and over again. So we are praising God over and over again.
Say that with me, “Mow”
MOW
The way you sign this is you take your fingers and hit your palm and circle around and do it again. Hit twice. That means again and again.
Mau.
Hoʻonani i ka Makua Mau
All together, Ho’onani I ka Makua Mau means Praise in the parent, again and again.
Let’s do that whole line in Sign Language:
Praise (point chin, clap twice)
In (circle hand inside circle hand)
Parent (thumb, tap chin + forehead)
Again and Again (fingers + hit palm twice)
Now in Hawaiian, please say it out loud with me:
Ho’onani (point chin, clap twice)
I ka (circle hand inside circle hand)
Makua (thumb, tap chin + forehead)
Mau (fingers + hit palm twice)
One more time.
Sing and Sign with Pastor Brown
Now, let’s sing it with Pastor Brown while we sign it. [see video]
