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Idioms

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Proverbs

Loan words

Historical loan words

Filters

Idioms

Phrases

Proverbs

Loan words

Historical loan words

mau

1. (verb) (-ria) to take up, carry, take, bring (when followed by mai).

Ki te haere ia ki ngā hui, me mau te tangata i tōna ake tauera (TTT 1/11/1927:686). / If a person goes to gatherings he should take his own towel.

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2. (verb) to lay hold of, grasp (followed by ki), wield (as in mau rākau).

Kei hopu tōu ringa ki te aka tāepa, engari kia mau ki te aka matua (NM 1928:40). / Do not catch hold of the loose vine, but lay hold of the main vine.

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Synonyms: rarau, whāwhā, ārau, nao, rarahu


3. (verb) to put on, wear.

Ina rā, te pūhutihuti me te mā o ngā makawe, te kikorangi o ngā whatu, te tāroaroa o te hanga, te paipa i te waha, he pāhau te kanohi, me tana kāmeta mau haere tonu e pūhia ana e te hau kaha o Pōneke (TTR 3:188). / Tall, bearded, with a shock of white hair and blue eyes, pipe in mouth, ever-present scarf flicking about in Wellington's stiffer breezes, he was instantly recognisable (DNZB 3:493).

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Synonyms: whakatū, whakamaumau, uta

māu

1. for you - used in this way when the possessor will have control of the relationship or is dominant, active or superior to what will be possessed.

(Te Kākano Textbook (Ed. 2): 54-56, 140-141;)

Māu tēnei rorohiko. / This computer is for you.

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2. you (1) will.

(Te Kākano Textbook (Ed. 2): 64-65;)

Māu tō tātou waka e horoi. / You will wash our vehicle.

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mau

1. (stative) be caught, confirmed, made fast, held, seized, established, captured, taken, overtaken, comprehended, understood, caught out.

Pupuri tonu tētahi ringa ki te aho kia mau tonu ai te pōro i te taha o te kānara, ko te matikara o tētahi ringa hei āta koropana i te pōro kia āta takahurihuri mārire ai (TWMNT 5/6/1877). / Hold the string with one hand so that the ball is beside the candle and with a finger of the other hand carefully flick the ball so that it slowly revolves.

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2. (stative) be fixed, firm, secure, hold firm, continuing, lasting, retained.

E taku ipo, ka mau tonu taku aroha mōu kia hake rā anō taku tuarā (PK 2008:173). / My beloved, my love for you will remain firm until my back is bent.

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Synonyms: karioi, taketake, whakauka, ukiuki

mau rākau

1. (verb) to wield weapons.

E tino kitea ana te tohungatanga o ētahi kapa ki te mau rākau (RMR 2017). / The expertise of some haka groups at wielding weapons is very obvious.

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2. (modifier) armed, wielding weapons.

He toa mau rākau hoki, he tangata hikareia (TTR 1990:251). / And he had military prowess and a forceful personality.

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3. (noun) Māori weaponry.

E ākona ana te mau rākau i te kura, he mahi whai oranga mā ngā ākonga (RMR 2017). / Māori weaponry is taught in school as an activity for the welfare of the pupils.

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Synonyms: ngā rākau a Tū

mau tangata

1. (noun) person who is hospitable, welcoming, friendly and generous.

He tangata hoki ia i whakanuia e ngā iwi o te takutai o Te Tai Rāwhiti, he tangata whaimana, he mau tangata (M 2006:374). / He was also a man who was held in high regard by the tribes of the East Coast, a man of prestige, and devoted to his fellow man (M 2006:375).
Ko tēnei tangata, ko Pineāmine Waipapa, ko ia tētahi o ngā tino rangatira o Te Tai Rāwhiti nei, he tangata pai, he ngāwari, he mau tangata, he tangata whakarongo ki ngā kupu a ngā kaumātua (TP 12/1908:8). / This man, Pineāmine Waipapa, was one of the senior chiefs of the East Coast, a good and pleasant man who was hospitable, a man who listened to the words of the elders.

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mau tangetange

1. (noun) found guilty.

He mau tangetange te whakataunga a te kōti ki runga i a Hīroki, kātahi ka whakahaua kia patua mate rawa (TTR 1994:28). / The decision of the court was that Hiroki was guilty and he was sentenced to death.

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mau kakī

1. (noun) neck ornament, neck pendant.

Mahia mai ai he hei, he mau kakī, aha atu i ngā kōiwi (Te Ara 2016). / Pendants, necklaces and other things were made from the bones.

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Synonyms: whakakai, tāhei

mau taringa

1. (noun) ear ornament, ear pendant.

Hai tohu i te mutunga o tana ākonga, hoatu ana e Te Pairi ana pounamu mau taringa mō Te Kani (TTR 1996:222). / To mark the end of his learning period, Te Pairi gave Te Kani his greenstone ear pendants.

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mau ngengero

1. (noun) bronze whaler, Carcharhinus brachyurus - a heavy-bodied shark up to 3 m long with a broadly rounded snout. Bronze above, sometimes olive-green. Common around upper North Island but occurs south to Cook Strait and Tasman Bay in summer.

See also ngengero

mau tūmārō

1. (noun) persistence, perseverance, determination, diligence, doggedness, tenacity.

Ko taku ritenga e hoatu ana mō tēnei kupu mō 'mahi', ko te mau tūmārō o te whakaaro ki te mahi, ko te mau tūmārō o te mahi me te totohe ki te mahi (TTT 1/2/1925:179). / The definition that I provide for this word 'work' is perseverance in attitude to work, determination in work and persistence in doing the task.

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Synonyms: urupū, pūnoke, pāuaua, tohe, ngana, manawanui, whakapau kaha, hiringa, tohetohe, pūtohe, totohe, pukutohe, pūkeke, whakapūmau

pātuhi pūmatua mau

1. (noun) caps lock key.

māu tōu ene

1. go and bite your bum - a contemptuous rejection of an offer.

ringa mau waeahiko

1. (loan) (noun) cablers.

mau te rongo

1. (stative) be in a state of peace, peace reigns, peaceful relations are restored.

I konā ka mau te rongo i waenga i ngā hapū (TTR 1990:322). / As a result peaceful relations between the tribes were restored.

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mau ake nei

1. for ever and a day, on and on, ad infinitum - an idiom to indicate that something will continue long into the future.

Ka tautohetohe tonu māua, mau ake nei. / She and I will continue to argue for ever and a day.

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Synonyms: haere ake nei, nei, āke, ake, ake

kuku-mau-toka

1. (noun) nesting mussel, banded mussel, Modiolarca impacta - bivalve mollusc with a brown shell, frequently with a mixture of green near the edge. The centre is smooth, but both ends are ornamented with fine radiating ridges. The interior is highly iridescent. Found in both Islands, in seaweed or grass and under rocks, both in harbours and on ocean beaches. Also written as one word (i.e. kukumautoka) or three words (i.e. kuku mau toka).

See also korona

Synonyms: korona

ka mau te pai

1. (interjection) that's excellent, great, fantastic.

(Te Kōhure Textbook (Ed. 2): 196;)

ka mau te wehi!

1. (interjection) how terrible! how terrific! fantastic! awesome! how frightening - often used to praise something or someone's work. Sometimes also used to express the opposite or to express awe, amazement or fear.

(Te Pihinga Textbook (Ed. 2): 106; Te Pihinga Audio Tapes/CDs (Ed. 2): exercise 40; Te Kōhure Textbook (Ed. 2): 196;)

Ka mau te wehi o ngā waituhi a Ralph Hōtere. / Ralph Hōtere's paintings are fantastic.

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[māu] (rawa) ka aha?

1. what will [you] achieve by that?, what difference will [you] make?, what can you do? - an idiom suggesting that there is no point in doing something.

E mea ana au me peka atu ki tō rāua. Māu rawa ka aha? / I am saying that we should stop off at their place. What is the point of that?

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See also mā tēnā ka aha?

hei aha (atu) [māu]

1. don't worry about it, don't let it bother you, you don't need, why should you care, mind your own business - an idiom indicating a lack of concern or relevance.

Kua pōuri au i ngā kōrero a Ani. Hei aha māu ngā kōrero a tēnā wahine weriweri. / I'm upset about what Ann said. Don't worry about what that horrible woman says.
Hei aha atu māu tā rātou e kī nei. / Don’t pay any attention to what they’re saying.
Hei aha atu mā rātou. / They shouldn't be worried about it.

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See also hei aha (noa iho), hei aha atu, hei aha (atu) mā wai?

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