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Idioms

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Proverbs

Loan words

Historical loan words

Filters

Idioms

Phrases

Proverbs

Loan words

Historical loan words

piki

1. (verb) (-a,-tia) to climb, scale, ascend, climb over, get on.

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). / 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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2. (noun) ascent, climb.

Ka kaha ake nei ōna pūkenga me ōna mōhiotanga ki ngā mahi, ka tīmata te piki haere o tana tūranga (TTR 2000:243). / As his skills and knowledge improved he began the climb up the ranks.

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3. (noun) success.

I tēnei wā, he nui ngā piki me ngā heke kei te pā ki te ahurea a te Māori (Te Ara 2015). / At this time there are many ups and downs affecting Māori culture.
Ahakoa pā iho te aha ki a Rēweti, pā iho anō hoki ki a Keita, arā, te pāpouri, te harakoakoa, tae atu ki ngā piki me ngā heke o ōna rā (TTR 1996:69). / No matter what affected Rēweti, it also affected Keita, that is the sorrows and joys, and the triumphs and setbacks.

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4. (noun) sharp (musical notation).

Ko te ‘#’ hei tohu i te piki (he waehaurua te piki) (RTP 2015:67). / The ‘#’ is the symbol for a sharp (a rise of a semitone).

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angitūtanga

1. (noun) success.

I te whā marama ko ia ake i te whakahaere i te Ope Taua 28 (Māori), e hia kē nei ngā angitūtanga (TTR 2000:14). / In the four months he was commanding the 28th Māori Battalion he had many successful operations.

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aupiki

1. (verb) to ascend.

Taku aranga ake, ka eke ano au ki runga i taku hōiho. Kātahi au ka aupiki atu ki te kāinga tae atu au ki te taiepa o te kāinga (TJ 20/6/1899:15). / When I rose I mounted my horse. Then I climbed up to the village arriving at the village's fence.

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2. (modifier) steep, uphill.

He ara aupiki ki runga i te pā, nā reira ka pau taku hau i taku taenga ake ki reira. / There was a uphill path onto the pā, and so I was out of breath when I arrived there.

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3. (noun) short sharp ascent.

Ka nui te kino o te huarahi, he aupiki, he auheke (W 1971:22). / The road was really bad, with short sharp ascents and descents.

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4. (noun) success.

Rangi: Me mihi rā te tangata ka kuhu i a ia anō, ahakoa ngā aupiki me ngā auheke. Pare: Āe, engari kia aroha anō tātou ki te hunga e tapoko ana i roto i ngā uauatanga o tēnei ao e noho nei tātou (HKK 1999:177). / Rangi: We should acknowledge people who help themselves, despite the ups and downs. Pare: Yes, but we should have concern for the people bogged down in the difficulties of this world that we live in.

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momoho

1. (verb) to be fortunate, successful, rewarded.

I ngā tau o 1884 me 1886 ka tū ia hei māngai ki te Pāremata mō te rohe pōti Māori o Te Tai Hauāuru, engari i tiki. Nō te tau 1896 rā anō ia ka momoho (TTR 1994:35). / In 1884 and 1886 he stood for Parliament in the Western Māori electorate, but was unsuccessful. Finally in 1896 he was successful.

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2. (modifier) fortunate, successful, rewarding.

O ngā nēhi Māori o tōna wā, ko ia anake te mea momoho, ikeike rawa ki te taumata o te akoranga nēhi (TTR 1998:103). / Of the nurses of her era, she alone was so successful and eminent reaching the summit of the nursing profession.

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3. (noun) success, successfulness.

Nā te hauora me te momoho o te haere o tōna nei ao kākano rua, i ū ai tana whakapono, arā, ka taea e te Māori te noho i roto i te ao Pākehā (TTR 1994:10). / Because of the vigour and success of his bicultural lifestyle he firmly believed that Māori could succeed in Pākehā society.

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penu

1. (modifier) successfully - follows eke as an intensifier and translated by a variety of words depending on the context.

Engari anō te marama eke penu tonu ki runga (M 2005:442). / But the moon rises right up above.

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tiripapā

1. (verb) to explode in succession.

E ai ki te korero, he āta rere tō rātou nā awa, ā, koia i āta rere ai te kupu i ō rātou ngutu, kāore e pēnei i te matā e tiripapā mai ana i te pū mīhini (HJ 2015:224). / It is said that their river flows slowly and that is why the words from their lips flow slowly, not like the bullets exploding in rapid succession from a machine gun.

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2. (modifier) exploding in succession.

I mua atu i te whānautanga o Taare, he karawhiutanga a Hakaroa nā ngā pū tiripapā a Ngāti Toa i ngā tau whakamutunga o te tekau tau atu i 1820 (TTR 1994:179). / Before Taare was born the Banks Peninsula region had been savaged by repeater guns of Ngāti Toa in the late 1820s.

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3. (noun) cracker, firework.

Rangona ai ngā tiripapā e pahu ana i te tīmatanga o te marama o Noema. / Fireworks are heard exploding at the beginning of November.

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toitoi okewa

1. (noun) inviting a lack of success in hunting, fishing, etc., counting one's chickens before they hatch.

Uru: Kei a au te pata me te parāoa, heoi anō tāu, he whakahoki mai i tā tāua tāmure! Pare: E hoa, kāti te toitoi okewa! Ka pūhore noa taku haere i ēnā tū kōrero (HJ 2012:21). / Uru: I have the butter and the bread, and all you've got to do is bring back our snapper! Pare: My fiend, stop counting your chickens before they hatch! That type of talk is inviting failure.

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angitu

1. (stative) be successful, lucky, fortunate.

I āhua ōrite ngā kapa i te weheruatanga, engari, i te haurua tuarua, ka puta ngā hautipua o Aotearoa ki te kawe i a rātou ki te taumata angitu. / The teams were pretty even at half-time, but in the second half the stars of New Zealand emerged to take them to the successful outcome.

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Synonyms: māri, waimaria, waimarie, māngari


2. (noun) luck, success, coup, opportunity.

Nā ōna mōhiotanga, nā tāna atawhai matawhāiti, nā tōna hiringa me tōna mātauranga tōrangapū, i pērā rawa ai te angitu ōna ki tēnei whakatakanga āna (TTR 1996:112). / His intelligence, tact and persistence and political skill brought him considerable success in this mission (DNZB 1996:363).

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Synonyms: kōwhiringa, āheinga, āhei, waimarietanga, māngaringari, māngari, waimaria, waimarie

kopounga

1. (noun) appointee, successful candidate, appointment.

Kua tū pakari anō te Poari o Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori nā runga i te kopounga o ngā mema hou e rua, mō te toru tau te roa (TTW 2016). / The Board of the Māori Language Commission stands firm again because of the appointment of two new members for a term of three years.

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auare ake

1. not able, not a chance, not at all, missed completely, to no avail, no success, no such luck, no way, no show - this idiom is used to indicate that something was not, or will not be, achieved because the person did not listen to advice, want to do something, or did not have the ability or strength for the task. A verb or stative preceded by te can follow this idiom.

(Te Kōhure Textbook (Ed. 2): 220;)

E toru marama au e whakaako ana i te reo ki a Taringa Kore, auare ake te paku kōrero mai. / I have been teaching the language to No Ears for three months but he hasn't spoken at all.

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Synonyms: auare, he aha hoki, rawa, hore rawa, e hawa (e hawa), weta, i neki, tōu ene, e

eke panuku

1. (verb) to hit home, win, gain victory, successfully overcome.

Ao ake i te ata, e hoe mai ana ngā waka o Ngāti Toa, ka maranga te taua o Ngāi Tahu. Ko Ngāi Tahu i eke panuku, heoi, ka puta te ihu o Te Rauparaha (Te Ara 2016). / Next morning, as Ngāti Toa were paddling in, the Ngāi Tahu war party rose up. The victory went to Ngāi Tahu, although Te Rauparaha managed to escape.

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[ngā] piki me [ngā] heke

1. ups and downs, come what may, triumphs and setbacks, successes and failures.

Ahakoa pā iho te aha ki a Rēweti, pā iho anō hoki ki a Keita, arā, te pāpouri, te harakoakoa, tae atu ki ngā piki me ngā heke o ōna rā (TTR 1996:69). / No matter what affected Rēweti, it also affected Keita, that is the sorrows and joys, and the triumphs and setbacks.

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rīwhi

1. (loan) (verb) (-tia) to substitute, succeed, replace.

Nō te tau 1860 ka mate a Kīngi Pōtatau, ka rīwhitia nei ki a Tāwhiao (KO 16/2/1885:8). / In 1860 King Pōtatau died and was succeeded by Tāwhiao.

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2. (loan) (modifier) relief, replacement, relieving.

Kei te kukume tonu te Tiapani i tana kaharoa hei hao i a Tianara Rinipiti, te tianara rīwhi o Kuropatakini (TP 7/1905:6). / The Japanese are continuing to pull in their seine net to catch General Linievich, the replacement general to Kuropatkin.

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3. (loan) (noun) relief, successor, substitute, replacement, reliever, succession.

Ko Raima hei rīwhi mō tōna pāpā kua mate (TWM 7/10/1870:5). / Raima is a replacement for his father who has died.

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akitu

1. (verb) (-hia) to close in on, fight.

He mea akitu te hoariri kia kore ai tētahi e rere (PK 2008:13). / The enemy were hemmed in so that none could escape.

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2. (noun) point, end.

Ko tana whao whakairo he naihi tēpu noa iho nei, he mea oro te mata kia akitu (TTR 1994:62). / His carving chisel was just an ordinary table knife that had been ground to a point.

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Synonyms: koi, koinga, toi, toitoi, tara, tihi, mata, matū, matamata, tongi, hiku, kūmore, raenga, paina, ngahu, tāmore


3. (noun) highest point, success, summit, apex.

Whāia a tua atu o te reo kai parāoa noa iho nei, kei noho noa iho hoki ki ōna pīnakitanga tē eke kē ai ki te akitu ka taea (TTTT 2006:13). / Strive to achieve that which is beyond ordinary language or the language will not improve and reach excellence.

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4. (noun) vertex.

E waru ngā akitu o te mataono rite (TRP 2010:100). / A cube has eight vertices.

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pāhi

1. (loan) (verb) (-ngia,-tia) to pass, succeed, enact.

I raro i tētahi mōtini i pāhitia e te rūnanga o te Kotahitanga ki Papawai, e pēnei ana me tatau te tokomaha o ngā Māori katoa o ngā motu e rua nei (TJ 1/2/1898:2). / A motion was passed by the Kotahitanga assembly at Papawai to the effect that the Māori population of these two islands should be counted.

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Synonyms: maka, ara kūiti, hihipa, tuku


2. (loan) (noun) success, pass, win.

T. Whiua: Mō te ōta pepa a te kāwanatanga e mea atu ana ahau, kia pāhitia i te mea kua oti te pāhi e ngā mema o tērā whare, i tēnei rā i roto i tā rātou kōrero (HTK 10/6/1893:5). / T. Whiua: Concerning the order paper of the government I am suggesting that it be passed because the members of that other house have passed it today in their discussions.

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waingōhia

1. (verb) to be talented.

He torutoru nei o tāua, o te Māori, i manawanui ki te ū ki tana tākaro i waingōhia ai, ā, eke atu ki te karamata (TTT 1/9/1930:2149). / Few of us, the Māori, have been dedicated enough to our sport that we were talented at, so that we reached the top.

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2. (verb) to be successful, fortunate.

Ka mea hoki a Toi, “Ki te waingōhia i a koutou te iwi nei, kia māmā te patu; waiho kia ora ana; mauria mai ngā tāne, ngā wāhine, me ngā tamariki (JPS 1913:175)." / Toi also said, "If you are successful, let your killing be in moderation; leave some alive, bring here the men, women and children."

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3. (verb) to be pleased.

Waingōhia ana tērā ki tō tātou taenga mai (W 1971:476). / That one was pleased with our arrival.

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Synonyms: matakuikui, manawa reka, uruhau, āhuareka, harikoa, harakoakoa, pārekareka


4. (modifier) easy, straightforward, simple.

He kōrero whai tikanga tonu, engari ko tāku kē e whakaatu ana, ehara te whakamāori kōrero i te mahi waingōhia (HM 3/1993:6). / It's important information, but what I'm saying is that the translation is not an easy task.

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mūhore

1. (verb) to be unsuccessful (in an activity), unproductive, without result, futile, fruitless, barren.

I mūhore te haere (W 1971:213). / The trip was futile.

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2. (modifier) unsuccessful (in an activity), unproductive, without result, futile, fruitless, barren.

Tēnā hoki tētahi wāhi mā tātou mā te Māori, kei riro anake ngā herengi i te iwi Pākehā, kei kīia kua ringa mūhore te Māori ki te ngaki witi (TW 22/6/1878:312). / That then is an option for us, the Māori people, lest only the Pākehā make money and it is said that the Māori are no good at growing wheat.

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3. (noun) failure, lack of success, flop.

Kei te matarehu tonu rātou i te mūhore o tā rātou tono kia tū te whakataetae ki reira (PK 2008:427). / They were quite disappointed because their request to hold the competition there was unsuccessful.

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4. (noun) poverty.

Ko te kore mahi e ahu ana ki te mūhore (Ng 1993:350). / Unemployment leads to poverty (Ng 1993:350).

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Synonyms: pōwhara, pūhore, tuakoka, whakapōhara, pōhara, hāhoretanga, hahoretanga

tōnui

1. (verb) to be prosperous, prolific.

Ka mahi a Te Whatahoro ki te tuhi i ngā tikanga Māori, tōnui ana ngā mahi i oti i a ia (TTR 1990:21). / Te Whatahoro became a prolific writer on Māori traditions and customs.

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2. (modifier) prosperous, prolific, productive, flourishing, thriving, successful, affluent.

He mea hanga e ia i reira he teihana tōnui, hei whakatipu hipi, whakatipu kau (TTR 1996:149). / He developed a prosperous sheep and cattle station there.

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Synonyms: houkura, taurikura, ngaruru, hāwere, māpua, haumako, oho


3. (noun) prosperity, affluence, productivity.

Nō te murunga o ō rātau whenua tino tōtika, tauheke ana te tōnui, tauheke ana te ora o te iwi (TTR 1994:5). / When their most productive lands were confiscated their prosperity and life declined.

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Synonyms: houkura, tōnuitanga, taurikura

tohi

1. (verb) (-a) to cut, divide, distribute, separate, endue.

Tohia ā tātou purapura kia ranea ai (W 1971:430). / Divide our tubers so that there are plenty.

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2. (verb) (-a) to perform a ritual ceremony over a child in flowing water while petitioning the atua to endow the child with the desired mental and physical qualities. The child was dedicated to the particular atua by immersion in the water or by sprinkling it with water from a branch dipped in the stream.

Ka whānau a Tūhuruhuru, tamaiti a Tinirau, ka tonoa a Kae i Tihi-o-Manono kia haere mai hei tohi i a Tūhuruhuru (JPS 1928:269). / When Tūhuruhuru, the child of Tinirau, was born, Kae was asked to come from Tihi-o-Manono to perform the baptismal rite over Tūhuruhuru.

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3. (verb) (-a) to perform ceremonies success in battle.

Ka heke atu rāua ki te wairere, ka tohia e Te Aotaki a Tū-whakairi-ora (JPS 1911:20). / They descended together to the running stream, and Te Aotaki performed the tohi rite over Tū-whakairi-ora.

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4. (verb) (-a) to boil with hot stones.


5. (noun) dedication rite, baptism rite, child dedication ritual - a ritual ceremony over a child in flowing water while petitioning the atua to endow the child with the desired mental and physical qualities. The child was dedicated to the particular atua by immersion in the water or by sprinkling it with water from a branch dipped in the stream.

Nā Te Toiroa tonu i tūā, ka tohia ki te tohi a Tūmatauenga, te atua o te riri, o te tangata hoki (TTR 1990:216). / Te Toiroa performed the naming ceremony over him, dedicating him to Tūmatauenga, atua of war and of humankind.

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6. (noun) vessel in which cooking was done by placing heated stones in the water.

tauatanga

1. (noun) succession.

Kīhai i aruarutia e te tauatanga tana mahi ki te whakahouhou haere i te Kīngitanga (TTR 1996:239). / The succession did not interrupt his reconstruction of the King Movement.

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