Filters

Idioms

Phrases

Proverbs

Loan words

Historical loan words

Filters

Idioms

Phrases

Proverbs

Loan words

Historical loan words

nau

1. (noun) Cook's scurvy grass, Lepidium oleraceum - a strong-smelling herb up to 50 cm tall. The stem is woody below. The four-petalled flowers are small and white and are followed by flat, slightly notched seed capsules. A plant found throughout coastal Aotearoa/New Zealand and on nearby islands.

nāu

1. belonging to you (one), yours (one) - used in this way when the possessor had control of the relationship or was/is dominant, active or superior to what was/is possessed.

(Te Kākano Textbook (Ed. 2): 54-56, 140-141; Te Kākano Study Guide (Ed. 1): 27; Te Pihinga Textbook (Ed. 2): 22-23;)

Nāu ēnā nanekoti. / Those goats are yours.

Show example

Hide example

Synonyms: nāhau


2. you (one person) did.

(Te Kākano Textbook (Ed. 2): 30-32; Te Kākano Study Guide (Ed. 1): 41-42;)

Nāu ngā tīkiti i hoko. / You bought the tickets.

Show example

Hide example

nau

1. (verb) to come, go.

Ka kitea mai koe e tō whānau hei karanga mai, "Nau mai, nau ake, takahia te one ki Te Arahanga (TW 24/10/1874:29). / When you are seen by your family they will call, "Come and tread the beach to Te Arahanga."

Show example

Hide example


2. (interjection) come - followed by mai is sometimes used to introduce a suggestion.

E taku reta, nau mai haere ki te kawe i taku aroha nui ki tōku kōkā, ki a Warihia (TPH 30/6/1900:2). / O my letter, come and convey my great affection for my mother, Warihia.

Show example

Hide example


3. (interjection) welcome - with mai, a call of welcome.

Nau mai rā, e Pēhi, te kaumātua i whakangaua ki te paepae o te mātauranga ki te 'mita' o te reo o ngā koeke kua huri atu ki te uru (TTT 1/6/1922:14). / Welcome Mr Best, you are the elder who was initiated into the knowledge and language of the elders who have turned to the west.

Show example

Hide example

See also nau mai

nau mai

1. welcome!.

Ka tū a Ngā Puhi ki runga i te marae karanga ai, “Nau mai! Nau mai!” ā ka tau anō a Ngā Puhi ki raro (JPS 1899:239). / Ngā Puhi arose on the marae and called, "Welcome! Welcome!" and then sat down again.

Show example

Hide example

nau mai te…

1. bring on the… - an expression of anticipation to show that one is excited or looking forward to something.

Nau mai ngā rangi whakatā, kua roa tēnei wiki. / Bring on the weekend, this week has been long.

Show example

Hide example

[nāu tāu] mahi

1. you're the one, you're good alright, you're too much, you're awesome - an idiom in which nāu tāu may be replaced as in the examples below.

Nāu tāu mahi, e hine. Kāore i tua atu i a koe (HJ 2012:27). / You're good alright, girl. There's nobody better than you.
Rangi: Me whakawhiwhi noa te tūranga ki a ia, me pānui rānei ki ngā nūpepa? Pare: E! Nāna tāna mahi - hei aha i tiro ai ki wāhi kē! (HKK 1999:26). / Rangi: Should we just give her the position, or should it be advertised in the newspaper? Pare: Of course! She's the best - there's no point in looking elsewhere!
He mahi uaua ki te nuinga, engari he māmā noa iho ki tērā tokorua. Nā rāua tonu tā rāua mahi (HJ 2012:27). / It's a difficult task for most, but quite easy for that pair. They're the best.

Show example

Hide example

komeke

1. (noun) cake of mashed hīnau berries or raupō pollen.

Mahia ai te komeke i te pungapunga o te raupō (Te Ara 2013). / Cakes were also made from the pollen of bulrush.

Show example

Hide example


2. (noun) muffin.

Synonyms: mawhene

Dewes, Te Kapunga Matemoana (Koro)

1. (personal name) (1930-2010) Ngāti Porou; educator, orator, leader and authority on Ngāti Porou language and traditions. From the hapū of Te Whānau a Rakairoa, Te Whānau a Hunaara, Te Whānau a Hinerupe, Te Whānau a Te Aopare and Tūwhakairiora, he was awarded an honoury Doctor of Literature from Victoria University of Wellington in 2004.

whīnau

1. (noun) hīnau, Elaeocarpus dentatus - variation of hīnau. Tall forest tree with long leaves, whitish underneath and producing masses of white flowers and edible berries, the pounded kernels of which form a meal from which hīnau bread is baked, while the bark is used for dye.

See also hīnau

kaikaranga

1. (noun) caller - the woman (or women) who has the role of making the ceremonial call to visitors onto a marae, or equivalent venue, at the start of a pōwhiri. The term is also used for the caller(s) from the visiting group who responds to the tangata whenua ceremonial call. Traditionally this role was based on one's status within the hapū or whānau, the eldest sister normally being given the role. Skilled kaikaranga are able to use eloquent language and metaphor and to encapsulate important information about the group and the purpose of the visit.

Ki tā Iranui, i ngā wā o mua i haere ngā wāhine me te kaikaranga o te manuhiri ki waenganui o te ope whakaeke ki runga i te marae, ā, ko ngā tāne kei ngā taha ki te tiaki i ngā wāhine. / According to Iranui, in former times the women and the caller of the visitors went in the middle of the group going onto the marae and the men were at the sides to protect the women.

Show example

Hide example

ahi teretere

1. (stative) flickering fire, unstable fire - a term used when members of a whānau have not returned to their tribal lands to 'keep the fires burning' for three or four generations and their rights have almost been extinguished.

Ko te kaupapa o te kōrero, kia kore ai e ahi teretere, kia kore ai rānei e ahi mātao...Me hokihoki tonu koe ki tōu ake kāinga kia kā tonu ai ngā ahi, me tuku rānei e koe ō tamariki kia hokihoki ki tērā o ngā kāinga kia noho mahana tonu ai ō ahi (Tikanga 1997:70). / The purpose of the story is so that fire does not flicker or grow cold...You must continually return to your real home so that the fires continue to burn, or you should request that your children return often to that home so that your fires stay warm.

Show example

Hide example

See also ahi tere, ahi tahutahu

Synonyms: ahi tere

Pēwhairangi, Te Kumeroa Ngoingoi

1. (personal name) (1921-1985) Ngāti Porou, Te Whānau-a-Ruataupare; leader, songwriter, shearer, teacher, cultural adviser and co-founder of the Te Ātārangi language learning method.

(Te Kōhure Textbook (Ed. 2): 81-82;)

Ngāwai, Tuīni Moetū Haangū

1. (personal name) (1910-1965) Ngāti Porou, Te Whānau-a-Ruataupare; songwriter, teacher, shearer and cultural adviser.

(Te Kōhure Textbook (Ed. 2): 71; Te Kōhure Video Tapes (Ed. 1): 2;)

ahi tere

1. (noun) flickering fire, unstable fire - a term used when members of a whānau have not returned to their tribal lands to 'keep the fires burning' for three or four generations and their rights have almost been extinguished.

Ki te whakarērea te whenua ka mātao te ahi, ka ngaro ngā tika ki te whenua. Hei te tīmatanga ka iti te ahi, kīia ai he ahi tere. Ka tae ana ki te wā ka weto te ahi, ko te ahi mātaotao tērā (Te Ara 2013). / The legitimacy of any claim diminished over time if the land was abandoned and the fire allowed to die out. Initially, the right started to wane and became ahi tere (unstable fire). Eventually the fire was extinguished which was ahi mātaotao (cold fire).

Show example

Hide example

See also ahi tahutahu

Synonyms: ahi teretere

Pōtae, Henare

1. (personal name) (?-1895) Ngāti Porou, Te Whānau-a-Ruataupare; leader.

Ngārimu, Te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa

1. (personal name) (1919-1943) Ngāti Porou, Te Whānau-a-Apanui; sportsman and soldier of the 28th Māori Battalion who was awarded the Victoria Cross posthumously for his bravery against the Germans in the Second World War when he was killed on 27 March 1943.

(Te Kōhure Textbook (Ed. 2): 183-184;)

Teramea, Mōnita Eru

1. (personal name) Sir Mōnita Eru Delamere (1921-1993) Te Whānau-a-Apanui, Ngāi Tahu; Ringatū and community leader, farmer, rugby player.

Waititi, Hoani Retimana

1. (personal name) (1926-1965) Te Whānau-a-Apanui; Māori language teacher, educationist, community leader and textbook writer.

(Te Kōhure Textbook (Ed. 2): 78-80; Te Kōhure Textbook (Ed. 2): 3;)

Wī Repa, Tūtere

1. (personal name) (1877-1945) Te Whānau-a-Apanui, Ngāti Porou; doctor, historian and community leader.

Te Kākano 3rd Edition

New edition of the leading Māori-language textbook out now.

More info

The App

Te Aka Māori Dictionary is also available as an iOS and Android app. Download below.

iOS Android

The Book

Te Aka Māori-English, English-Māori Dictionary and Index by John C Moorfield comprises a selection of modern and everyday language that will be extremely useful for learners of the Māori language.

More info

He Pātaka Kupu

Te kai a te rangatira

He Pātaka Kupu is a monolingual Māori language dictionary, and was designed using its own culturally authentic terms.

Visit website

00:00