mele

Mele is a term with multiple meanings across languages and contexts. It can refer to a common fruit in Italian, a traditional form of music in Hawaiian, or appear as a personal name or place name in various cultures.

In Italian, mele is the plural of mela, meaning apples. The word appears in everyday language, cooking, and commerce to describe the fruit. For example, mele rosse (red apples) or mele verdi (green apples) would be used in context, with gender and number agreement determined by the surrounding sentence.

In Hawaiian, mele means song, chant, or poem. Mele are a central part of the island’s oral and musical traditions and cover a wide range of themes, from history and nature to love and everyday life. Different types include mele oli (chants performed with voice) and mele hula (songs accompanying the hula dance), as well as contemporary Hawaiian compositions.

As a proper noun, mele can occur as a surname or as part of place names or brand names in different regions. The term’s meaning thus varies with language, culture, and context, illustrating how a single spelling can carry distinct, culturally embedded ideas in different linguistic landscapes.