whakapai
1. (verb) (-a,-hia,-ngia,-tia) to make good, set in order, prepare.
I te mea ka mōhiotia ngō pō e puta ai a Whānui ka whakapaia ngā rua, ka rere a Whānui ka tīmata te hauhake i ngā kai (TWMNT 11/9/1872:110). / Because the nights when the star Vega appeared were known, the storage pits were prepared and when Vega rose the harvesting of the crops began.
Synonyms: tātai, whakareri, whakatau, whakatikatika, whakatakatū, takatū, whakatakataka, whakatika, pātā, whakataka, rāwekeweke, tītakataka, raweke, rahurahu, whakaute, takataka
2. (verb) (-a,-hia,-ngia,-tia) to make better, improve, revise, bless, set (a table).
I tino whakamihi a Te Taute ki a Ngāti Porou mō tō rātou kaha ki te whakapai i ō rātou whenua, ki te whakatupu hipi, mō te papai o ā rātou teihana hipi, o ā rātou wūruheti (TP 12/1907:11). / Mr Stout gave great praise to Ngāti Porou for their energy in improving their land, raising sheep and for the good state of their sheep stations and woolsheds.
Synonyms: whakahou
3. (verb) (-a,-ngia,-tia) to approve of, praise, compliment, acclaim, agree with.
E whakapai mai ana hoki te taha Kīngi Māori ki te pai o te whakahaere o tēnei Kāwanatanga ki te motu nei (TWMNT 7/2/1872:44). / And the Māori King side approves of this Government's administration of this country.
4. (modifier) commending.
E tīmata ana anō rānei mātou te whakapai ki a mātou anō? e pērā ana rānei me ētahi atu, e mea ana mātou ki ētahi pukapuka whakapai mā mātou ki a koutou, mā koutou rānei ki a mātou? (PT 2Koroniti 3:1). / Do we begin again to commend ourselves? or need we, as some others, epistles of commendation to you, or letters of commendation from you?
5. (noun) praise, approval, compliment, acclaim.
I roto i tētahi nūpepa i Ākarana, i pai rawa ana tuhituhinga i mua atu nei, i puta nui te whakapai o te tini ki taua nūpepa, i nāianei kua huri, kua huri kōaro tōna koti, ā, kua āhua hauwarea noa iho (KA 1/1/1861:11). / In an Auckland newspaper his writings used to be of quality and many praised that newspaper, but now it has changed, it's the reverse and is quite inconsequential.
Synonyms: whakamanahau, moemiti, whakamihi, whakakorōria, whakamoemiti
6. (noun) preparation, improvement, reform.
Ko te aronga ake o tēnei rōpū ko te whakapai ake i ngā ture papori, hauora hoki mā roto mai i te Whare Paremata (Te Ara 2014). / The focus of this organisation was the improving the social and health laws in the New Zealand Parliament.
Synonyms: whakahoutanga, whakahouhou, whakatakataka, whakatika, whakatakanga, whakatakatū, whakatikatika, whakareri
7. (noun) support, endorsement.
Ko tēnā mahi he tautoko tonu i te maungārongo, nā konei ka nui tōku whakapai atu ki a ia mō tēnā (KO 17/5/1886:7). / That action advocates peace, and so I strongly support him on that.
whakapai ake
1. (verb) to refine, improve, perfect, polish.
He wahine i whakapau i ōna kaha ki te whakapai ake i ngā āhuatanga o te Māori (TTR 2000:95). / She was a woman dedicated to improving conditions for Māori.
Synonyms: paruhi, whakapīratarata, waku, wakuwaku, whakamahine, pani, whakamaheni, whakakanapa, whakapīata, whakapīrata, pārihi, parakena, aumiri, haratau
2. (noun) refinement, improvement, perfection, polishing.
Ko te aronga ake o tēnei rōpū ko te whakapai ake i ngā ture papori, hauora hoki mā roto mai i te Whare Paremata (Te Ara 2017). / The focus of this group was the improvement of social laws and health in Parliament.
Synonyms: whakapakari
whakapai kanohi
1. (intransitive verb) to favour one over the other, treat differently, discriminate.
Nō te pānuitanga tuarua i te tau 1882, ka whakawhiua e ia te kāwanatanga, he whakapai kanohi nōna ki te iwi Māori, he whēnako whenua (TTR 1990:338). / On the second reading in 1882, he accused the government of discrimination against the Māori people and of stealing land.
