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Idioms

Phrases

Proverbs

Loan words

Historical loan words

hea

1. (location) where? what place? - an interrogative which functions like a locative or location word and is used after prepositions, i.e. kei hea? where?; ko hea? where is?; ki hea? where to?; i hea? where were? from where?; nō hea? where from?; o hea? of what place?; mā hea? via where? by what means?.

(Te Kākano Textbook (Ed. 2): 3, 12, 29, 47-48; Te Pihinga Textbook (Ed. 2): 64-65, 66;)

hea mai koutou? / How did you come?/Which way did you come?

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See also whea, tūpātai, ko hea


2. (particle) when?.

(Te Kākano Textbook (Ed. 2): 46-47;)

See also whea, inahea, āhea, nōnahea


3. (location) and other places - when repeated after a particular particle following named places preceded by the same particle.

Ko te wa tēnei i putaputa ai ngā rangatira o ia iwi, o ia iwi ki ngā wāhi katoa haere ai, puta atu ki Ākarana, ki Pōneke, ki hea, ki hea (TWMNT 19/5/1874:142). / This was the time when the chiefs of the various tribes began to travel about visiting Auckland, Wellington, and other places.

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4. (location) any place, everywhere.

Ko ēnei kupu katoa i runga ake nei, i te nama 39 tae ki te 48, mō ngā taonga, e tau ana ki ngā taonga katoa e tae ana ki ngā ringaringa o ngā āpiha o te rerewē i ngā whare takotoranga taonga, tari rānei, i ngā rerewē katoa i hea, i hea rānei (TWMNT 28/12/1875:322). / All these conditions above, from number 39 to 48, apply to all parcels and goods arriving into the hands of the officers of the railway at the warehouses and offices wherever situated.

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hea

1. (loan) (noun) hare, Lepus capensis - larger than a rabbit with longer ears and powerful hind legs.

Otiia kaua e kāinga ēnei o ngā mea e whakahoki ake ana i te kai, o ngā mea hoki e tararua ana ngā matimati, e titore pū ana; ko te kāmera, ko te hea, ko te koni, nō te mea e whakahoki ake ana rātou i te kai, otiia kīhai i tararua te matimati; hei poke ēnā ki a koutou (PT Tiuteronomi 14:7). / Nevertheless, of those that chew the cud or have cloven hooves, you shall not eat, such as these: the camel, the hare, and the coney; for they chew the cud but do not have cloven hooves; they are unclean for you.

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hea

1. (loan) (noun) share, portion.

I mate wira kore hoki taua kaumātua, e kī ana ētahi o ngā mea e āhua tata atu ana ki taua kaumātua kia tukua ki te Kōti, kia kōtitia ngā rawa kia taka ki te hea tika (TW 20/7/1878:366). / That elder died without a will and some of the people who were rather close to that elder say that it should be submitted to the court so that his wealth can be judged so that it is shared properly.

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Synonyms: tiri, wāhi, maramara, moka, taha, pīhi, tūtanga, tohatoha, toha, tuari, wāhanga, wakawaka

mā hea

1. by what means? by what way? via where?.

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

Mā hea koe haere ai? / How are you going?/Which way are you going to go?

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See also mā hea mai/atu ...?, ai

nō hea

1. where from? from where? belonging to where? - interrogative asking where something or someone is from or belongs.

(Te Kākano Textbook (Ed. 2): 2-3;)

Nō hea tō hoa? / Where is your friend from?

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See also nō whea

kaipupuri hea

1. (loan) (noun) shareholder.

I te tīmatanga ko te nuinga o ngā kaipupuri hea he whanaunga katoa (TTR 2000:57). / In the beginning most of the shareholders were relatives.

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Synonyms: kaiwhaipānga

ko hea

1. (location) what is the name of? - used in reference to place names.

(Te Pihinga Textbook (Ed. 2): 64-65;)

Ko hea tērā? / What's the name of that place?

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kei hea mai

1. it was outstanding, terrific, that's wonderful, choice - an eastern dialect idiom exclaiming about the outstanding quality of something or someone, or his/her work. Sometimes it is used to compliment the thought, rather than the actual contribution. In this idiom, atu can replace mai.

See also kei whea mai

mā hea mai/atu ...?

1. how did you come/go? - an idiom to ask by what route or means someone travelled.

Mā hea mai koe ki Otepoti? Mā runga waka rererangi. / How did you come to Dunedin? By plane.

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nō hea hoki [tāu]?

1. where did you get that from? - an idiom indicating that the speaker does not believe what he/she has been told.

(Te Kōhure Textbook (Ed. 2): 53;)

I pēnei au he Māori a Hōri. Nō hea hoki tāu? / I thought George was a Māori. Where did you get that idea from?

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ki hea noa iho

1. that's just asking for trouble, you're tempting fate - an idiom expressing the speaker's belief that what has been suggested will end badly.

Rangi: E Mā, kei te haere au ki Bosnia. Pare: Ai, kaua e haere. Ki hea noa iho koe mate kurī noa iho ai (HKK 1999:105). / Rangi: Mum, I'm going to Bosnia. Pare: Oh! Please don't go. You'll just get killed.
Ā, e hāngai ana anō tēnei ki a tātou, te hunga pakeke. Ki hea noa iho tātou raruraru ai ki te rite tonu tō tātou ngākau kawa ki te reo o iwi kē (HM 2/1996:2). / And this is also applicable to us, the older generation. We are asking for trouble if we have a bad attitude towards the dialects of other tribes.

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mā hea mai i/ki tēnā

1. it's the thought that counts, the thought is appreciated, that will do just fine, that all helps, that's something, better than nothing - an idiom acknowledging someone's contribution, no matter how small it may be.

Anei taku koha, ahakoa iti. Kei te pai. Mā hea mai i tēnā. / Here's my gift, although it's small. That's OK. It's the thought that counts.

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ko hea mai (nei) te painga atu

1. it would be much better - an idiom used to suggest a much better way to do something or to achieve a goal.

Ko hea mai nei te painga atu mehemea he Māori te Pirimia. / It would be much better if the Prime Minister was a Māori.

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Nukutere

1. (personal noun) the crew of this canoe from Hawaiki are claimed as ancestors by Te Whakatōhea and Ngāti Porou.

(Te Māhuri Study Guide (Ed. 1): 31;)

Ko 'Nukutere' te waka o Porourangi, arā, o tōna tupuna o Whironui, me tana wahine, me Ārai-ara, ngā tohunga o runga, ko Takataka-putonga, ko Marere- o-tonga, he tokomaha anō ngā tāngata o runga (TW 26/4/1875:77). / 'Nukutere' is the canoe of Porourangi, namely of his ancester Whironui and his wife, Ārai-ara. Takataka-putonga and Marere-o-tonga were the skilled persons on board, along with many other people on board.

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ēwhea

1. (particle) (determiner) which? (plural) - variation of ēhea?.

(Te Kākano Textbook (Ed. 2): 100;)

I te ata ka kitea kua pau te kai a ngā ika rā; kāore i mōhiotia nā ēwhea hapū i tāhae aua ika (JPS 1927:358). / In the morning it was seen that the fish had been eaten; it was not known which clans had stolen the fish.

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See also ēhea

me

1. (particle) must, had better, should - used before verbs to form a weak command. When used in passive sentences, the verb does not take a passive suffix, with the exception of the word taea.

(Te Kākano Textbook (Ed. 2): 15, 84;)

Me mahi ahau āpōpō. / I had better work tomorrow.

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Synonyms: hōpurupuru, rawa, mātua


2. (particle) must be, a must, has to be, have to be - also used before nouns and adjectives.

Me kawhe. / Coffee is a must.
Me reka ngā kai. / The food must be tasty.
Me whā rawa? / Does it have to be four?

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3. (particle) how should it be done - when used before pēhea and followed by a clause of purpose.

Kātahi au ka whakaaro, me pēhea e kitea ai, e mau ai te tangata nāna i tāhae. / Then I wondered how I could discover and catch the person who stole it.

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See also me pēhea?

nōhea

1. never, not on your life, there's no way, not on your nelly, not a hope in hell - used as an emphatic negative, sometimes with hoki added. Sometimes used to indicate that the speaker does not believe what someone has said. Usually written as one word for this idiomatic meaning, but sometimes as two words, i.e. nō hea.

(Te Pihinga Textbook (Ed. 2): 52;)

Nōhea koe e hiahia ki te mōhio ki tērā tangata weriweri. / There's no way you would want to know that horrible man.
Pare: E kare, i kitea anō he tāne i te kanikani hei whakatika i ō pera i ngā pō? Rangi: Nōhea hoki! (HKK 1999:62). / Pare: My friend, did you find a man at the dance to smooth your pillows at night? Rangi: Not a hope in hell!
Pare: Kāore au mō te haere ki roto i te ngahere, kei hopukina au e te pouākai. Rangi: Nōhea hoki tāu? Kua mate noa atu tēnā manu (HKK 1999:62). / Pare: I won't go into the forest in case I am caught by the pouākai bird. Rangi: You won't? But that bird died out long ago.

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See also nōwhea

Synonyms: he aha hoki, e, nōwhea, tōu ene, weta, kāhore kau, hore rawa, hore kau, rawa

nō whea

1. where from? from where? belonging to where? - interrogative asking where something or someone is from or belongs. Variation of nō hea.

Kei raro iho i te nama o te waiata ngā tohu whakaatu a te etita kāore ia i te mōhio nā wai te waiata, ā, nō whea rānei (TTT 1/4.1929:973). / Below the number of the song are the symbols of the editor that he does not know who the song is by or where it is from.

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āhea

1. (location) when will? when? (of future time) at what time? - an interrogative that asks when something will happen. Sometimes written as two words, ā hea.

(Te Kākano Textbook (Ed. 2): 46;)

Āhea te mahi hōhā nei mutu ai? / When will this tiresome job end?

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See also tūpātai, āwhea

tēwhea

1. (determiner) which? (singular) - variation of tēhea?.

(Te Kākano Textbook (Ed. 2): 47, 100;)

Engari hei tēwhea wā o te marama ka kitea tuatahitia a Matariki i te atapō? (TTT 1/6/1922:13) / But which time of the month before dawn are the Pleiades first seen?

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See also tēhea

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