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Idioms

Phrases

Proverbs

Loan words

Historical loan words

toi waihanga

1. (noun) construction art, assemblage.

He momo toi ataata te toi waihanga, he whakapiri i ētahi rawatoi, i ētahi wāhanga wehewehe rānei kia hua mai te mahinga toi (RTA 2014:185). / Construction art is a type of visual art, where materials or separate parts are put together to create the finished artwork (RTA 2014:185).

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hangatanga

1. (noun) construction, building, structure.

waihanga

1. (verb) (-tia) to make, build, construct, erect, create, develop, generate.

I pēnei te waihanga o taua pā (HP 1991:15). / That weir was made like this.

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See also whaihanga

Synonyms: mea, hangahanga, whakahangahanga, whaihanga, mahi, hanga, āhua


2. (noun) construction.

whakatūtū

1. (verb) (-ria,-tia) to set up, erect, construct.

Ka whakatūtūtia ngā rākau nei mō ngā taha o te whare, mō te whatitoka, mō te tuarongo hoki (HP 1991:12). / This timber was erected for the sides of the house, for the doorway and for the back wall.

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2. (verb) (-ria,-tia) to convene, establish.

Tērā anō ētahi rangatira o Pēwhairangi e whakatūtū hui ana ki Waitangi (TTR 1994:110). / There were some Bay of Islands chiefs who convened meetings at Waitangi.

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3. (verb) (-ria,-tia) to parade, perform, carry out manoeuvres.

Ko te ope i tākina atu e Kūkūtai i whakatūtū i raro i te haki o Ingarangi (TTR 1990:42). / Kūkūtai led a contingent which paraded under the Union Jack.

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Synonyms: tapa, whakaatu, whakaataata, whakahua, whakahaere, mahi, hahaka, haka, whakarite


4. (modifier) erecting, constructing, building.

I whakahaungia e Rāwiri Puhirake ngā wāhine i āwhina i te mahi whakatūtū tūwatawata i Pukehinahina, kia whakatahi rātau i mua o te kōkiritanga a te ope Pākehā (TTR 1990:212). / The women who had helped in the fortification construction work at Pukehinahina had been ordered to withdraw by Rāwiri Puhirake before the British force attacked.

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5. (modifier) establishing, instituting.

He tangata i anga ia ki ngā mahi a te rangatahi Māori, nāna i whakakīkī te mahi whakatūtū kapa haka mō rātou (TTR 1998:132). / He was a person dedicated to the activities of Māori youth and advocated the work of establishing cultural groups for them.

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6. (modifier) holding, running, convening, organising.

Pārekareka ana hoki ki a Te Kooti te mahi whakatūtū rērehi hōiho, hai whakamāmā ake pea māna i te mōkinokino o tēnei mea o te pakanga (TTR 1976:218). / Te Kooti also enjoyed holding horse-racing events, perhaps to provide relief from the grim reality of warfare.

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Synonyms: omaoma, whakarērere, oma


7. (modifier) parading, drilling.

Kotahi wiki ki Pōneke, he mahi whakatūtū hōia te mahi (HKW 1/5/1902:9). / We were one week in Wellington doing military drills.

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Synonyms: tūngārahu


8. (noun) erection, construction, building, raising.

Nā ngā moni hua o te hokonga i ngā rākau tōtara o ngā whenua o ngā Mahupuku i utu te whakatūtū haere i ērā o ngā whare papa rākau nei (TTR 1994:47). / The proceeds of the sale of tōtara trees from Mahupuku lands paid for the construction of these timber houses.

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Synonyms: whakapiki, whakaputu, whakatipu, huti, hutinga, hīanga, whakatupu


9. (noun) parade, drill squad, marching group.

He maha ngā whakatūtū kātipa i uru atu te ope Māori hei whakanui i te Tiupiri i te 22 o Hune 1897 (TTR 1996:259). / The Māori contingent participated in many of the military parades to celebrate the Jubilee on 22 june1897.

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10. (noun) parade drill, parade, drilling, manoeuvres.

Ka riro katoa mai ō mātau kākahu, pūtu, pēke, ka tīmata te whakatūtū hōia (HP 1991:103). / When we had obtained our uniform, boots and bags the military parade drill began.

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whaihanga

1. (verb) (-ia,-tia) to make, build, construct, erect.

Ahakoa tēnei parekura nui, kei te tīmata atu anō te tangata ki te whaihanga hou i ōna tāone, me ana hanga (TTT 1/7/1931:1). / Despite this major disaster, people are starting to rebuild their towns and property.

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See also waihanga

Synonyms: mea, hangahanga, waihanga, whakahangahanga, mahi, hanga, āhua


2. (noun) construction, building.

Ko te whaihanga i rite ki te rīpeka (TTT 1/8/1931:16). / Its construction is like a cross.

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whakatū

1. (verb) (-hia,-ngia,-ria,-tia) to make stand, erect, put up, construct, raise, establish.

Me whakatū he pēke motuhake mā ngā Māori hei huarahi āwhina i ngā Māori ki runga i ngā mahi pāmu, hoko kau, hanga whare mō rātou, whakatū wheketere pata, mira kani rākau, mira haraheke, me ērā atu mahi e puta ai he painga mō te iwi Māori (TTT 1/10/1931:63). / Separate banks should be established as a way to help Māori with regard to farming, buying cows, building houses for themselves, establishing butter factories, sawmills, flax mills and those other activities that will benefit the Māori people.

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Synonyms: hiki, whakatāiri, whakaaranga, kōranga, hāpai, , huataki, rangahua, huaranga, araara, whakatiputipu, whakakaurera, riariaki, whakatairangaranga, whakatupu, whakapakeke, mairanga, riaki, whakaara, whakaikeike, whakarawe, whakatipu, whāngai


2. (verb) (-hia,-ngia,-ria,-tia) to elect, put on, instigate, appoint, place.

Mā te Kāwana e whakatū atu tētahi perehitini hei whakakapi mōna (TWMNT 30/10/1872:140). / The Governor will appoint a president as his replacement.

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Synonyms: whakamaumau, mau, uta, whakanohonoho, whakatakoto, whiu, taiwhanga, whakanoho, wāhanga, panga, moka, makamaka, maka, whiuwhiu, kopou, wāhi


3. (verb) (-hia,-ngia,-ria,-tia) to stop, pull up, bring to a halt.

Ka kite hoki taku tuakana i a au e tū ana i te taha o te huarahi i tō mātau kāinga, ka whakatū ia i ana hōiho, kia piki atu au ki runga i te rore, ka noho i tōna taha (HP 1991:22). / And when my elder brother saw me standing at the side of the road at our home he stopped his horses and I climbed onto the lorry and sat beside him.

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Synonyms: koko, tākiri, kōwhiti, hutihuti, huti


4. (modifier) erecting, establishing, instituting.

Ko te wāhi hou o tēnei pōti ko te whakaaetanga o te taha turaki i te waipiro kia utua te moni e whā miriona pauna me te hāwhe (£4,500,000) ki te rōpū whakatū hōtēra mehemea ka tupono te hinga o te taha whakatū waipiro i tēnei pōti (TKO 12/2/1919:3). / The new part of this election is the agreement of the alcohol prohibitionists to pay four and a half million pounds (£4,500,000) to the association erecting hotels if the side supporting alcohol happens to be defeated at this election.

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5. (noun) erection (of a building, etc.), election, establishment.

Ko te kaupapa i mārama ki tēnei komiti ko te whakatū i tētahi Māori hei pīhopa āwhina, hei tiaki i te taha Māori (TTT 1/5/1928:774). / The matter is clear to this committee is the establishment of a Māori as assistant bishop to care for the Māori aspect.

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hanganga

1. (noun) making, construction, creation, building, formation, structure, composition.

Ko te tātai kōrero tēnā o te hanganga i a Hine-ahu-one i te one i Kura-waka (M 2006:274). / That is the narrative style used in the creation of Hine-ahu-one on the beach at Kura-waka.

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2. (noun) enactment.

I ātetehia e ia te whakaurunga atu o te hanganga ture e riro ai ngā whenua i te Māori (TTR 1994:129). / He opposed the enactment of legislation that would alienate Māori land.

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kōhiku

1. (verb) (-tia) to impale, skewer, spike.

I kōhikutia te nauhea ki te tia mānuka (Ng 1993:217). / The scoundrel was impaled on a mānuka stake.

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2. (noun) skewer, spit.


3. (noun) type of cloak.

Ka takoto ngā taonga mō Paoa, ko te pueru, ko te kōhiku (NM 1928:162). / The treasures for Paoa were laid out, a coarse cape and a cloak.

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4. (noun) cloak under construction.

hanga

1. (verb) (-a,-ia) to make, build, fashion, create.

Kāore i roa i muri mai ka tae mai ngā hōia, ka whakaaratia anō e rātau taua pou haki, ka kaha atu hoki te mahinga i tō mua hanganga, arā, ka hangaia ki te maitai (TPH 30/6/1903:4). / Not long after that the soldiers arrived, that flag pole was re-erected and it was built stronger that that of before, that is it was built of steel.

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Synonyms: mea, hangahanga, waihanga, whakahangahanga, whaihanga, mahi, āhua


2. (-a,-ia) to enact, draft, execute - especially of legislation.

I te tau 1947 ka tangohia te pukapuka ture o Westminster (i whakamanahia e te pāremata o Peretānia i te tau 1931) e Aotearoa. Nā tēnei mahi ka pūmau ki te kāwanatanga o Aotearoa anake te mana ki te hanga ture mō Aotearoa (Te Ara 2015). / In 1947 New Zealand adopted the Statute of Westminster (passed by the British Parliament in 1931). This confirmed that the New Zealand Government alone had the power to enact laws for New Zealand.

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3. (noun) build, stature, shape.

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 1996:188). / 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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4. (noun) construction, practice, habit, goods, products, thing, property.

E kore e taea te tatau i ngā hanga katoa o tō māua whare (TWM 13/8/1868:10). / It would be impossible to count all the products in our building.

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Synonyms: mea, kame, rawa, taonga, utauta, āhuatanga, hautaonga


5. (noun) group (of people).

Kei roto te hanga tautoko e pakipaki ana, e umere ana, kei waho te hanga mautohe e kaioraora ana (PK 2008:73). / The supporters were inside clapping and applauding, while outside the protestors were acting menacingly.

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Synonyms: iwi, nuinga, hunga, tāngata, pori, ētahi tāngata, tētahi tangata

karewao

1. (noun) supplejack, Ripogonum scandens - a high-climbing, woody native plant with tough pliant stems used in the construction of hīnaki, etc. Longish leaves are opposite, toothless, with obvious lengthwise parallel veins and the round fruit bright red. Stem is usually finger-thick, smooth and almost black.

kekereao

1. (noun) supplejack, Ripogonum scandens - a high-climbing, woody native plant with tough pliant stems used in the construction of hīnaki, etc. Longish leaves are opposite, toothless, with obvious lengthwise parallel veins and the round fruit bright red. Stem is usually finger-thick, smooth and almost black.

taiore

1. (noun) supplejack, Ripogonum scandens - a high-climbing, woody native plant with tough pliant stems used in the construction of hīnaki, etc. Longish leaves are opposite, toothless, with obvious lengthwise parallel veins and the round fruit bright red. Stem is usually finger-thick, smooth and almost black.

kaumahaki

1. (noun)  brace, buttress - temporary cords between the rafters passing over the ridge-pole during house construction.

ngāwhā

1. (modifier) geothermal, thermal.

I oti i a ia ētehi rākau nui te whakairo i roto i tana wharemahi i muri tonu o te hōtēra, hei whakapaipai i te hōtēra me ngā wāhi ngāwhā (TTR 1996:274). / In his workshop behind the hotel he carved some big pieces of timber to decorate the hotel and thermal areas.

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See also ngāwhāriki


2. (noun) boiling spring, volcanic activity, boiling mud pool, fumarole, sulphur water, geyser.

Kātahi a Mākereti ka huri, ka kitea tonutia atu i te ngāwhā, i a Papakura e hū ana, ā, ka whakautu tonu atu, ko Papakura tōna īngoa, arā, ko Maggie Papakura (TTR 1996:120). / Then Mākareti turned and saw the geyser called Papakura bubbling away and she answered immediately that Papakura was her name, that is Maggie Papakura.

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3. (noun) bulrush, raupō, Typha orientalis - a tall, summer-green swamp plant distinguished by its large flowering spike which looks like brown velvet, the stems (kākaho) being used as construction or decoration material. The long, narrow leaves grow to about 2m long.

See also raupō

kareao

1. (noun) supplejack, Ripogonum scandens - a high-climbing, woody native plant with tough pliant stems used in the construction of hīnaki, etc. Longish leaves are opposite, toothless, with obvious lengthwise parallel veins and the round fruit bright red. Stem is usually finger-thick, smooth and almost black.

I a ia e haere ana mā te ngāherehere, ka powhiwhi ia i te kareao (TTR 1990:94). / While making his way through the bush, he became entangled in supplejack vines.

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1. (particle) for - indicating future possession. Used in this way when the possessor will have control of the relationship or is dominant, active or superior to what is possessed.

(Te Kākano Textbook (Ed. 2): 64; Te Pihinga Study Guide (Ed. 1): 9-10; Te Kākano Textbook (Ed. 2): 54-56, 140-141;)

Mā Mū tēnei pukapuka. / This book is for Mū.

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2. (particle) by, made by, acted on -  combines with e to form a future tense emphasising who or what will do the action, sometimes called the actor emphatic. This grammatical construction is only used with transitive verbs, not with intransitive verbs, with statives (neuter verbs), or with verbs in the passive.

(Te Kākano Textbook (Ed. 2): 65; Te Kākano Study Guide (Ed. 1): 41-42;)

tōku matua koe e whakahoki. / My father will take you back.

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Synonyms:


3. (particle) Used with hei to show relationships.

(Te Pihinga Textbook (Ed. 2): 54;)

Hei irāmutu a Aroha Hēni. / Aroha is Jane's niece.

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4. (particle) by way of, via, through.

(Te Kākano Textbook (Ed. 2): 47-48; Te Pihinga Textbook (Ed. 2): 66;)

Ka haere rātou Taupō. / They'll go via Taupō.

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5. (particle) by means of, on - followed by runga.

Haere ai tō mātau pāpā ki tana mahi runga hōiho (HP 1991:27). / Our father went to his work by horseback.

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See also mā hea

Synonyms: runga, , ā, hei, i, kei


6. (particle) Used in names for the points of the compass.

He aha rawa te hau e pupuhi mai nei? He marangai mā tonga. / What is the wind that's blowing? It's a south-easterly.

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See also marangai-mā-raro, raki-mā-rāwhiti, uru-mā-raki

1. (particle) of, belonging to - indicates achieved possession. 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 Study Guide (Ed. 1): 27; Te Pihinga Textbook (Ed. 2): 22-23;)

Te Ihorei tēnā nūpepa. / That newspaper belongs to Te Ihorei.

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Synonyms: , o, a


2. (particle) by, made by, acted on - combines with i to form a past tense emphasising who or what did the action, sometimes called the actor emphatic. This grammatical construction is only used with transitive verbs, not with intransitive verbs, with statives (neuter verbs), or with verbs in the passive.

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

Tio te ahi i tāhū. / Joe lit the fire.

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Synonyms:

pirita

1. (noun) supplejack, Ripogonum scandens - a high-climbing, woody native plant with tough pliant stems used in the construction of hīnaki, etc. Longish leaves are opposite, toothless, with obvious lengthwise parallel veins and the round fruit bright red. Stem is usually finger-thick, smooth and almost black.

Ki te mau mātau e takahi ana i tēnei ture a rātau, ka whiua mātau ki te kirikau, ki te pirita rānei, mamae rawa (HP 1991:32). / If we were caught disobeying this rule of theirs we were punished with the strap or a supplejack cane and it really hurt.

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See also kareao

Synonyms: kekereao, karewao, taiore, kakareao, kakarewao, akapirita


2. (noun) green mistletoe, Ileostylus micranthus - a hemiparasitic shrub with thick leaves of various shapes. Flowers greenish yellow and fruit pale yellow. Found on a range of hosts throughout Aotearoa/New Zealand.

See also pirinoa


3. (noun) scarlet mistletoe, Peraxilla colensoi - a hemiparasitic bushy shrub with thick leaves and obscured viens. Flowers red, long and narrow, fruit oval and yellow. Found on tawhai, pōhutukawa and Pittosporum species.

See also pirinoa

Synonyms: pirinoa


4. (noun) yellow mistletoe, Alepis flavida - a hemiparasitic shrub with thick bright green to yellow-green leaves. Flowers yellow and fruit oval and yellow. Found mainly on tāwhai species.

See also pirinoa


5. (noun) white mistletoe, Tupeia antarctica - a hemiparasitic shrub with broad to narrow leaves. Flowers yellow or yellow-green and fruit white to pink, often speckled darker pink. Found particularly on tarata, maire raunui and whauwhaupaku.

See also tāpia


6. (noun) leafless mistletoe, Korthalsella salicornioides - very small, tufted, succulent, leafless mistletoe. Dense mass of green to reddish-yellow beaded succulent stems to 10cm long growing on twigs of another plant (mainly mānuka and kānuka). Leaves (stems) 3-10mm long by 1-3mm wide, round. Flowers tiny, fruit small, yellowish.

raupō

1. (verb) to be of raupō, made of raupō.

Me pēhea te hanga i ngā whare? Me raupō me papa rānei? (HKW 1/1/1902:2). / How should the houses be built? Should they be of raupō or timber?

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2. (modifier) of raupō, made of raupō.

Te putanga mai o tētahi poroka i roto i tōna whare raupō i waenga repo, ka pānuitia e ia ki ngā manu katoa ka taea e ia te whakaora ngā mate katoa (Popi 1887:53). / A frog emerged from inside his raupō house in the middle of the swamp and announced to all the birds that he was able to cure all diseases.

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3. (noun) bulrush, raupō, Typha orientalis - a tall, summer-green swamp plant distinguished by its large flowering spike which looks like brown velvet, the stems (kākaho) being used as construction or decoration material. The long, narrow leaves grow to about 2m long.

He raupō ō mātou whāriki (TKO 12/5/1918:9). / Our mats were of raupō leaves.

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taea

1. (verb) to be able, accomplished, possible - although this word derives from tae and its passive ending -a, it has developed a feature distinct from the normal passive construction, in that the action of which someone is said to be capable is preceded by te and no preposition. Unlike other verbs in the passive which do not take a passive ending when following me, taea may occur after me. If taea is modified by a base and/or a particle, which would normally take a passive ending after a verb in the passive, then that base or particle also has a passive ending (usually -tia).

(Te Kākano Textbook (Ed. 2): 75-76;)

Ka taea ēnei kōrero e ia te tuhi. / He is able to write down this account.
Kīhai i oti i a ia tana tohu paetahi; ahakoa i taea ngāwaritia noatia e ia te nuinga o ngā mahi (TTR 1996:66). / He did not complete his BA; although he was able to do most of his subjects quite easily.

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See also tae, tareka

Synonyms: kaha, tare, āhei, waewae kai pakiaka, tareka, kei a [koe] mō te ..., toa, ringa rehe, Kei a ... mō te ..., riwha

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