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Loan words

Historical loan words

Filters

Idioms

Phrases

Proverbs

Loan words

Historical loan words

matimati

1. (noun) finger.

Ka haere ia ki te tohunga Pākehā, arā ki te tākuta, ka tirohia tōna poho, ka pātōtōtia ki ōna matimati, ka whakarongo ki te haruru o roto o te poho ki tana mea whakarongo (TPH 15/6/1902:1). / He went to the Pākehā expert, that is the doctor, and his chest was examined and was tapped with his fingers, listening to the sound inside the chest with his stethoscope.

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2. (noun) toe.

Ko te mea i whanokē ai taua mārenatanga he mutu taua wahine i mārenatia rā, kāore ōna ringaringa. Ko te rīngi i kuhua ki te toru o ngā matimati o te waewae mauī (TWMNT 3/11/1874:278). / The thing that was peculiar about that wedding was that the bride was an amputee, she had no arms. The ring had to be placed on the third toe of her left foot.

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3. (noun) claw.

Tērā tētahi manu kei te awa nui o Amerika ki te tonga, kei te Amahona, e kīia ana e whā waewae o taua manu i te mea e kūao ana. He matimati anō kei ngā parirau, hai ngōki haere māna. Ā, ka kātuatia ka makere ngā matimati, toe iho ko ngā parirau anake (KO 10/9/1890:3). / There is a bird in the large river of South America, the Amazon, which is said to have four legs when it's young. It has claws on the wings so that it can crawl about, and when it matures the fingers drop off leaving just the wings.

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toe

1. (verb) (-a) to be left over, remaining, leave, reserve.

Tērā tētahi manu kei te awa nui o Amerika ki te tonga, kei te Amahona, e kīia ana e whā waewae o taua manu i te mea e kūao ana. He matimati anō kei ngā parirau, hai ngōki haere māna. Ā, ka kātuatia ka makere ngā matimati, toe iho ko ngā parirau anake (KO 10/9/1890:3). / There is a bird in the large river of South America, the Amazon, which is said to have four legs when it's young. It has claws on the wings so that it can crawl about, and when it matures the fingers drop off leaving just the wings.

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Synonyms: whakaputunga, whenua rāhui, whakakawhena, whakatapu, haumi, porowhita, rāhui, tāpui, tūrāhui, whakatoe, mōmōhanga, maunu, wehewehe, wehe, whakangā, waiho iho, tuku, awaiho, maiki

kōiti

1. (noun) little finger, little toe.

I tēnei wā ka whakamana te rīngi ki tōna kōiti katau, ko tōna tohu rangatira tēnei (TP 6/1911:5). / At this point the ring on his right hand little finger was blessed. This was his symbol of his nobility.

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Synonyms: koroiti, tōiti

kōnui

1. (noun) thumb, big toe.

Kei runga tonu ake o te kōnui o taku waewae katau he nawe anō tērā (HP 1991:21). / Right on top of the big toe of my right foot there was another scar.

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2. (noun) thumb width - traditional measurement from the tip to the knuckle of the thumb.

Ko te nuinga o ngā waeine aro kē mō te ine, e whakamahi ana i tētahi wāhanga o te tinana, pērā i te kōnui me te mati (hei ine i ngā mea paku), i te matikara me te mārō (TRP 2010:311). / Most of the non-standard units of measurement use a part of the body, such as the thumb or finger (for measuring small things), the handspan, and the outstretched arms (TRP 2010:311).

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kōroa

1. (noun) index finger, second toe.

Ka mau tōna kōroa o te ringa katau ka tāuhia te wai ki a au (JPS 1950:285). / With the index finger of his right hand he sprinkled the water on me.

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Synonyms: kororoa

koromatua

1. (noun) thumb, big toe.

Ka hoki atu anō ki a Mahuika, ka kī atu, "Kua mate anō taku ahi." Ka homai anō e Mahuika ko tētehi o aua maikuku, nā, ka pērātia tonutia e Māui, pau noa tētehi o ngā ringaringa, ka tango ki tētehi o ngā ringaringa, ka tango ki ngā waewae, pau katoa ngā waewae. Kātahi i toe ko te koromatua, ka mōhio a Mahuika (TP 1/1913:6). / He returned again to Mahuika and said, "My fire went out again." Mahuika again gave him one of her fingernails. So Māui continued doing the same thing until all of one hand had been used up. She took more from the other hand and then the feet until all of the feet had been used. Then only the big toe was left and Mahuika realised.

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2. (noun) chief, mayor.

I te tau 1995 ko kōwhiria a Georgina te koromatua tuatahi o te ao he hinehī, arā mō te taone o Carterton (Te Ara 2014). / In 1995 Georgina was selected as the world’s first transsexual mayor, for the town of Carterton.

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See also mea

Synonyms: mea

kotikara

1. (noun) finger, toe, fingernail, toenail, claw.

Ka kite atu te tamaiti nei e haere mai ana taua tarākona, whakamataku ana tōna āhua, ko te tinana o taua mea i rite ki te nākahi, me ōna parirau anō, inā tonu atu te rarahi, me ōna kotikara inā tonu atu te roroa (TPH 16/2/1903:3). / When this child saw the dragon coming, its appearance was frightening, its body was like a snake, its wings were so big, and its claws were so long.

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mānawa

1. (noun) ring finger, fourth toe, fourth finger.

Ka hoatu te rīngi ki te mānawa o te ringa mauī ka mārena rāua (PK 2008:393). / The ring was put on the ring finger of the left hand and they were married.

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2. (noun) mangrove, Avicennia marina - a native tree with oval, leathery leaves, dull white beneath, opposite, with curled edges. Flowers are dull yellow, small and sweet-smelling while the fruit is a yellow capsule. Found in coastal swamps in the northern part of the North Island and has pencil-like breathing roots that poke out of the mud.

Synonyms: waikure, paetai

matikara

1. (noun) finger, toe.

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 5/6/1877:144). / 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. (noun) handspan - traditional measurement from the thumb to the little finger of a spread hand.

Ko te matikara, mai i te kōnui ki te kōiti o te ringa horahora kotahi (HJ 2015:42). / A 'matikara' is from the thumb to the little finger of one spread hand.

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matikuku

1. (noun) nail (of a finger or toe), hoof.

Pare: Kua oti anō i ngā kōtiro rā te whakapaipai tō rāua rūma? Rangi: Nōhea hoki! E warea kētia ana ki te whakapaipai i ō rāua matikuku (HKK 1999:62). / Pare: Have those girls finished tidying their room yet? Rangi: No way! They're too busy beautifying their nails.

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2. (noun) claw, talon.

Tāna kai ko ngā kurī pakupaku o te koraha; he mea hopu ki ōna matikuku ka kāhakina ki tōna kōhanga ki runga pari ki reira āta kai ai (TWMNT 4/5/1875:102). / Its food is small animals of the open areas, which are caught with its claws and carried off to its nest on cliff tops where it slowly eats them.

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noho hītengitengi

1. (verb) to squat on toes, squat down.

Me noho hītengitengi tātou ināianei. / We must squat now.

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2. (noun) squat.

Kei te tika te tīaroaro i tēnei noho hītengitengi – kei runga ake ngā turi i ngā rekereke, he matika te tuarā (RMR 2017). / The alignment in this squat is correct - the knees are above the heels and the back is straight.

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tōiti

1. (noun) little toe, little finger.

Ko taua kuia rā, ko Mahuika, he ahi katoa, te tinana, ngā ringaringa, ngā waewae, te upoko, ngā makawe he ahi katoa. Ka kōwhakina mai e ia i te tōiti; ka mīharo atu a Māui ki te ahi ka homai e ia (JPS 1929:21). / That elderly woman, Mahuika, was all fire, her body, arms, legs, head and hair were all fire. She plucked off her little finger, and Maui marvelled at the fire she gave him.

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Synonyms: koroiti, kōiti

tōnui

1. (noun) thumb, big toe.

Ka kī mai ki a au te tohunga, kia ngau ki tōna tōnui o tōna waewae matau, kia ngau ki tōna tōnui o tōna ringa matau, kia ngau ki tōna tipuaki ki waenganui o runga o tōna māhunga (JPS 1950:285). / The priest told me to bite the big toe of his right foot, the thumb of his right hand, and the crown of his head.

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whakamau

1. (verb) (-a,-ria,-tia) to fix, fasten, attach.

Ki te wāhi e tuwhera ana, ka whakamautia he pūrangi me te hīnaki, ānō nei hai kati i te huarahi wai ka haere ngā tuna mā reira ki te rere ana (HP 1991:15). / At the place that was open a bag and the eel trap were attached as if to block the channel that the eels travelled up if they were running.

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2. (verb) (-a) to fix attention on, be intent on, go straight for.

Ka whakamau ki tētehi wāhi tairanga ake i te wai (NIT 1995:201). / He went straight to a place elevated above the water.

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3. (verb) (-a) to put on (clothes, etc.).

Ka noho taku whaea ki te whakamau i aku tōkena me aua pūtu hou (TWK 55:13). / My mother sat down to put on my socks and the new boots.

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Synonyms: komo


4. (verb) (-a) to be vindictive, hold a grudge, dig one's toes in, dig one's heels in, be obstinate.

Ko te mutunga iho ko tāna he whakamau, he kore e taea te whakangāueue i tōna tino mauāhara ki aua mahi rā (HM 1/1995:4). / In the end she digs her toes in and can not be moved from her great dislike of those activities.

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5. (modifier) unforgiving, vindictive.

He wahine whakamau tērā - ki te hēngia e koe, kua kore e kōrero ki a koe mō āke tonu atu (PK 2008:1102). / That is an unforgiving woman - if you cross her she won't speak to you ever again.

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6. (noun) grievance, complaint, grudge, resentment.

I te marama o Maehe i te tau 1874, ka tū he hui ki Tuahiwi, he kāinga e pātata atu ana ki Kaiapoi, kia kōrerohia ngā whakamau a Ngāi Tahu (TTR 1990:113). / In March 1874 a meeting was held at Tuahiwi, a settlement near Kaiapoi, to discuss Ngāi Tahu grievances.

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Synonyms: taruhae, ngaukino, whakariri, hīkaka, hūngeingei, hūneinei, tūāhae

huirapa

1. (verb) to be grasping.

Kāti rā ka hōhā koe ki ngā murakehu āku e huirapa nei i te kahu o te pepa (TTT 1/6/1922:14). / That's enough, because you will be tired of my rambling dominating the paper's content.

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2. (stative) be webbed, having the toes united by a membrane.

He waewae huirapa ō te pārera. / The grey duck has webbed feet.

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3. (noun) flippers.

koikara

1. (noun) finger, toe.

E ngangahau ana āna kōrero mō tēnei take i ētehi wā, me te tautuhi anō ki ana koikara hei whakaatu i te ara whakarara o ngā waka e rua, arā, te waka Māori me te waka Pākehā (TTR 1996:49). / She sometimes talked intensely about this matter, indicating with two fingers to show the parallel paths of the two canoes – Māori and Pākehā.

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takonui

1. (noun) thumb, big toe.

noho tītengi

1. (verb) to squat on toes, squat down.

Ka noho tītengi a ia ki te miraka i te kau (Ng 1993:447). / She squatted down to milk the cow.

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tokonui

1. (noun) thumb, big toe.

E rua ngā aituā i pā ki a Carpentier i roto i tēnei whawhai, arā, i whati tōna tokonui me tōna ihu hoki (TKO 30/6/1921:10). / Two mishaps affected Carpentier in this fight, namely, his thumb and nose were broken.

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māpere

1. (noun) middle finger, middle toe.

I konei ka whara tana ringa mauī, ka ngaro te māpere me te mānawa (TTR 1990:220). / Here he was wounded losing the two middle fingers of his left hand.

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Synonyms: tōroa


2. (noun) cutty grass, Gahnia setifolia - a native sedge of light forest and scrub with long, harsh, cutting leaves growing in a tuft. Flowers are tall, weeping on a solid triangular stem. Reddish-brown seeds.

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