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Idioms

Phrases

Proverbs

Loan words

Historical loan words

Filters

Idioms

Phrases

Proverbs

Loan words

Historical loan words

mama

1. (verb) to ooze through small apertures.

Ka mama ake te wai i te pakaru nei (W 1971:172). / The water oozed up through this split.

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2. (noun) kidney.

mamae

1. (stative) be painful, sore, hurt.

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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2. (noun) ache, pain, injury, wound.

Ko hūpē, ko roimata hei whakamauru noa i te mamae e kai kino nei, ā, mā te wā rawa te rāwakiwaki e whakangaro (HM 4/2009:4). / Mucus and tears will ease the intense pain and eventually in time the depression will recede.

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Synonyms: pākikini, pākinikini


3. (noun) bullroarer - a traditional Māori musical instrument made of wood, stone or bone attached to a long string. A Taranaki term.

See also pūrerehua

māmā

1. (adjective) be light (not heavy), easy, less restricted, simple.

Otirā he māmā noa te kite a te Pākehā, i tāna taonga, i te karaihe whakanui, hei whakanui i ngā mea ririki kia kitea ai (TP 4/1901:6). / But the Pākehā can easily see them, with his instrument, the microscope, to enlarge tiny things so that they can be seen.

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2. (noun) lightness.

Huatakitia atu tēnā pito o te rākau, kia kitea te māmā (W 1971:66). / Lift that end of the timber to see how light it is.

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māmā

1. (loan) (noun) mother, mum.

I kī taku māmā ko te noke pai hai mōunu ko te tarawa (HP 1991:15). / My mother said that the best earthworm for bait is the tarawa earthworm.

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tau māmā

1. (noun) tidy number.

māmā ake

1. (stative) easier, simpler.

Kei tā Te Mākarini, e ōrite ana a Te Hāpuku rāua ko Te Moananui; engari, māmā ake tā rāua whakaoti mahi ko Te Hāpuku (TTR 1990:235). / Mr McLean considered Te Hāpuku and Te Moananui as equal, but it was easier for him to work with Te Hāpuku.

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pukuhiko māmā

1. (noun) dynamo.

Mā te wīra o te pahikara te pukuhiko māmā e huri, ā, ka whakaputaina he hiko hei whakakā i ngā rama o te pahikara (RP 2009:341). / The wheel of the bike turns the dynamo and produces electricity to light the bicycle's light.

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