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Idioms

Phrases

Proverbs

Loan words

Historical loan words

taiaha

1. (noun) long wooden weapon - of hard wood with one end carved and often decorated with dogs' hair.

Kua kore he painga o te taiaha hei hoariri mō te pū mīhini (TKO 30/6/1919:3). / The taiaha is no match for the machine gun.

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Synonyms: māipi

arero taiaha

1. (intransitive verb) to remain independent and on good terms with both sides in an argument or fight.

Ko ētahi kei te mihi i a Hōne, mōna i arero taiaha i roto i tērā whawhai, engari ki a au nei, he noho taiapa kē tāna mahi (HJ 2017:18). / Some are praising John for keeping on good terms with both sides in that dispute, but I think he was just sitting on the fence.

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2. (modifier) diplomatic, tactful, neutral - of keeping on good terms with both sides in an argument or fight.

Me tangata arero taiaha hei takawaenga mō roto i ērā tūmomo whakatete (HJ 2017:18). / To be a mediator in those types of disputes one must be on good terms with both sides.

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Synonyms: ngākau tapatahi


3. (noun) one who tries to not to take sides in an argument or fight.

kanohi taiaha

1. (noun) one who tries to keep on good term with both sides in a quarrel.

He kanohi taiaha (W 1971:362). / A person trying to keep on good term with both sides in a quarrel.

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2. (noun) two-faced person.

Kātahi nā te kanohi taiaha ko tērā, he kōrero kē i tēnei rangi, he kōrero kē anō i rangi kē, ki tangata kē (HJ 2017:51). / What a two-faced person that one is, he says something one day and something quite different the next day, to someone else.

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kape taiaha

1. (noun) heavy eyebrows.

He pai ake pea te kape taiaha i te mata hewa (HJ 2017:43). / Heavy eyebrows are better than no eyebrows.

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huanui

1. (noun) road, highway, path, pathway, street.

I reira ko tētahi huanui ururuatia e te rākau (HP 1991:28). / There was a road there overgrown by trees.

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Synonyms: ara


2. (noun) kākā perch and snare.

Tau atu ana te kākā ki te huanui, ehara, ka mau (PK 2008:143). / The kākā lands on the perch and snare, and behold, it is caught.

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3. (noun) horizontal guard position using a taiaha or tokotoko - the taiaha or tokotoko is held horizontally before the body and in the case of the taiaha the arero end is to the left.

Ko te huanui ko te takoto tonu o te tokotoko i mua i te kaihāpai. I a ia ka haere ki tana taha katau ka mau ki te tokotoko ki tana ringa mauī, ā, i a ia ka haere ki te taha mauī e rua ringaringa ki te tokotoko. / The huanui position is when the walking stick is held horizontally in front of the carrier. When he is walking to his right side he holds the walking stick in his left hand and when he goes to the left side both hands are on the walking stick.

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4. (noun) locus (maths).

Ko te huanui tētahi huinga pūwāhi ka hua mai i tētahi ture (TRP 2010:217). / The locus is a set of points resulting from a formula.

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whitiapu

1. (verb) downward blow (e.g. with a taiaha) - from the popotahi verticle guard position the blade of the taiaha strikes down on the head of the enemy.

He rite tonu ka whakarehu te toa, kātahi ka whitiapu ki runga i te mātenga, i te pakihiwi rānei o te tangata (Te Ara 2017). / The warrior would thrust from below with the taiaha blade, then struck the head or shoulder of the person with a downward blow.

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arero

1. (noun) tongue  - used in a number of expressions to describe lying and liars. e.g. arero teka, arero hīanga, arero horihori.

Ka titiro te tākuta, kātahi ka kī atu ki a ia, "E hoa, whātero tō arero." (TM 15/5/1881:3). / The doctor looked and then said to her, "My friend, please poke out your tongue."

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2. (noun) carved point of a taiaha.

Ka tū mai tētahi o aua wāhine rā, ko te patu parāoa i te ringa, ka hāpainga mai tana patu ki a Puhihuia, ā nō ka tata, ka whiua te patu rā ki te upoko o te kōtiro nei. Karohia ake, tērā te haere rā, tahi anō te whiunga o te arero o te taiaha rā ki te poho o tērā, koropeke ana, noho ana tērā ki raro (TAH 46:20). / One of those women stood up with a whalebone patu in her hand and raised her patu against Puhihuia and when she was close she aimed a blow with it at Puhihuia's head; but Puhihuia parried it and with one thrust of the point of her taiaha to the chest of that one, she doubled up and sat down.

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whakarehu

1. (verb) thrust from below (e.g. with a taiaha) - from the popotahi verticle guard position the lower end of the weapon (i.e. the arero) is raised and thrust at an adversary, sometimes as a feint.

He rite tonu ka whakarehu te toa, kātahi ka whitiapu ki runga i te mātenga, i te pakihiwi rānei o te tangata (Te Ara 2017). / The warrior would thrust from below with the taiaha blade, then struck the head or shoulder of the person with a downward blow.

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poupouwhenua

1. (noun) long weapon - usually of wood and similar to a taiaha but with a smooth point instead of the carved arero.

See also pouwhenua

Synonyms: pouwhenua

ringa whāngai

1. (noun) left hand - when using the taiaha.

Kātahi ka whitia e ia te reke o tōna taiaha ki runga, ka hō ngā awe ki runga ki te tākakī, puritanga o te ringa whāngai (JPS 1911:22). / Then he turned the butt of his taiaha upwards, the tufts of hair drooped over its neck where the left hand grasps it.

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Synonyms: ringa mauī, hema, mauī

popotahi

1. (noun) vertical guard position when using a long weapon - the taiaha, or other long weapon, is held vertically before the body, the tongue end down.

huata

1. (noun) long weapon similar to a taiaha.

Ko ā rātou rākau patu tangata, he koikoi, he huata, he taiaha, he tewhatewha, he hoeroa; he mea tārai ki te toki pounamu, ki te toki kōhatu (JPS 1899:179). / Their man-killing weapons were spears, lances, taiaha, tewhatewha and long whale-bone weapons fashioned with greenstone and stone adzes.

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pouwhenua

1. (noun) long weapon - usually of wood and similar to a taiaha but with a smooth point instead of the carved arero.

Tēnā te rangatira o Taranaki he tangata toa, nui whakaharahara, ko Te Raparapa te ingoa. Ka rere mai taua tangata ki roto ki te riri, ka mate iho i a ia tokowhā ngā tāngata, nā tōna ringa ake anō; kātahi ka rere mai ki te patu i a Te Awa-i-taia. Ko te karohanga a Te Awa-i-taia i te pouwhenua a taua tangata, kātahi ka whakarere atu te whiu o tōna wahaika hinga ana a Te Raparapa ki te whenua (TWM 3/5/1866:1). / There was the renowned chief of Taranaki, called Te Raparapa. That man rushed into the battle and he killed four men with his own hand. Then he rushed to kill Te Awa-i-taia. Te Awa-i-taia parried the pouwhenua of that man and then he wielded his wahaika felling Te Raparapa to the ground.

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Synonyms: poupouwhenua


2. (noun) post marker of ownership, boundary marker, land marker post, land symbol of support - post placed prominently in the ground to mark possession of an area or jurisdiction over it.

Ko ngā pouwhenua me ngā tāngata tēnei e whai ake nei (Wh4 2004:16). / This following is the list of land marker posts and leaders.

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See also pou whenua

Synonyms: pou whenua


3. (noun) supreme tohunga, leader.

Ko tā te rangatira kupu tōna whakataukī ki ahau, ki a Ngā Puhi, he pouwhenua, he toa anō tō tēnā hapū, tō tēnā iwi (TTT 1/9/1922:16). / I, Ngā Puhi, have a saying that each sub-tribe and tribe has leaders.

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Synonyms: kaitaki, kaitātaki, kaiārahi, kākākura, kaiwhakataki, wheao, tumuaki, tumu whakarae, kaiarataki, kaikākāriki, ngārahu, tētēkura, uru, kaihautū, kaitakitaki, kaingārahu, manukura, kaiwhakanekeneke, tātāriki, amokapua, amokura, ariki, ihorei, kahika, tātarariki, poutoko, whakataka, amorangi, hautū, manu taupua

pīkarikari

1. (verb) to prance about, quick shuffling steps in execution of the wero - a term used for the dramatic way the challenger advances on the marae with quick, abrupt, jumping movements and quick shuffling steps, doing the pūkana, whēterotero, making yelp-like noises and brandishing his taiaha or other long weapon.

Nō te haerenga o ngā reo whakatau o ngā kuia ka puta ōna tore kai huruhuru me ā rātou taiaha ki konā pīkarikari ai, whakapātaritari ai i te tira whakaeke (HM 2/1994). / When the elderly ladies' welcome calls went out the young warriors with their taiaha came forward to prance about and to challenge the approaching party.

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Synonyms: hīteki, hītekiteki, pīkari


2. (noun) prancing about.

Ko te hunga mātakitaki kei te warea noa iho ki ngā pekepeke, ki ngā pīkarikari engari kāore ngā taringa i te āta whakarongo ki ngā kupu (HM 2/1994). / The audience are merely concerned with the jumping and prancing about but are not listening carefully to the words.

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pīkari

1. (verb) to prance about - a term used for the dramatic way the challenger advances on the marae with quick, abrupt, jumping movements, doing the pūkana, whēterotero, making yelp-like noises and brandishing his taiaha or other long weapon.

Kātahi ka pīkari haere mai te tangata rā i te wā tonu e noho ana a Mātaatua ki te kōrero i ōna whakaaro hei whakautu i te kōrero i whiua rā e te tangata o Te Arawa (Wh4 2004:87). / Then that man pranced forward while Mātaatua sat discussing how to respond to what Te Arawa's spokesman had said.

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Synonyms: hīteki, hītekiteki, pīkarikari


2. (verb) to shuffle (the feet).

Ka pīkari haere te kuia ki te hoko mai i ana kai i te toa. / The elderly woman shuffled along to buy her groceries from the shop.

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3. (verb) to churn.

Ka tae ki ngā tāheke e kore ai e kaha te pīkari a ngā wīra ka hopukia te waea kei te take o te wai e toro ana, ka whakamaua ki te mīhini ka kumea te tima kia piki i te tāheke (TP 1/3.1902:10). / When it reaches the rapids where the churning of the wheels is not powerful enough they grab the wire at the foot of the rapids and it is attached to the machine and the ferry is pulled up the rapid.

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4. (modifier) attentively - often used in the phrase whakarongo pīkari (listen attentively).

Nāna i kite, arā, ka whakarongo pīkari ō rātau taringa, ā, ka mau rātau ki ana tohutohu mehemea ka whiria tahitia e ia ngā uaratanga Māori me ērā a te Pākehā (TTR 1996:40). / When she incorporated both Māori and Pākehā values, she found that they listened attentively and followed her suggestions.

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See also whakarongo pīkari


5. (noun) sleep - discharge from the eyes.

māipi

1. (noun) long wooden weapon - more commonly called a taiaha.

Kātahi ka whakatakoto te māipi [taiaha] ki raro hei huapae ake i ngā patu, i te patu rānei (JPS 1929:263). / Then the taiaha was laid below them so as to elevate the short weapons, or weapon.

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See also taiaha

Synonyms: taiaha

hani

1. (noun) a long carved wooden weapon more commonly known to modern Māori as a taiaha.

Ka tū a Kāwana Kerei, me te hani i tōna ringa, he hani i hoatu ki a ia e taua iwi, he mea hoki mā te toa anake e hāpai taua tū patu te hani (TW 30/3/1878:143). / Governor Grey stood with the hani in his hand, one which had been presented to him by that tribe, and the type of weapon that only warriors carry.

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