kīwaha
1. (noun) colloquialism, colloquial saying, slang, idiom.
(Te Kōhure Textbook (Ed. 2): 43;)
Ko te wawata, ko te uaratanga nui kia puta i tēnei tau tētahi kohikohinga kīwaha, kīrehu, arā ngā āhuatanga reo kua kaha nei te ngaro i waenga i te nuinga o ngā iwi (HM 4/1997:4). / The hope and the great desire is that a collection of colloquialisms and idioms, that is the aspects of the language that have long been missing amongst most of the tribes, will appear this year.
ā-kīwaha
1. colloquial.
Ahakoa kāore i matatau rawa ia ki te kōrero Māori ā-kīwaha, i tua atu i te reo ā-tuhi, i kaha pū tonu a Pat ki te whakaū i te reo ā-waha, me ngā tikanga Māori anō hoki (TTR 2000:81). / Although she was not very fluent in colloquial Māori, Pat placed strong emphasis on the spoken as well as the written language and on cultural practices.
pakaru (ana)/(katoa) [ngā] hamuti
1. [they] were shit-scared, scared shitless, terrified, scared stiff, frightened out of one's wits - a colloquialism often used to say that someone is terrified.
Ka kite ia i ngā pirihimana me ā rātou pū, pakaru ana tana hamuti i te mataku. / When he saw the policemen with their guns, he was terrified.
Synonyms: tarawewehi
pēhea
1. (verb) (-tia) how? how about? what about? of what sort? of what nature? treat in what way? act in what way? - an interrogative which can be used as an adjective or an ordinary verb and may be used passively. In colloquial speach a particle preceding pēhea at the start of a sentence may be omitted, but in formal writing it should be included.
(Te Kākano Textbook (Ed. 2): 1, 32, 99; Te Pihinga Textbook (Ed. 2): 63-64;)
2. (verb) which way? which direction?.
pēwhea
1. (verb) (-tia) how? how about? what about? of what sort? of what nature? treat in what way? act in what way? what was it like? - variation of pēhea and an interrogative which can be used as an adjective or an ordinary verb and may be used passively. In colloquial speach a particle preceding pēwhea at the start of a sentence may be omitted, but in formal writing it should be included.
poai
1. (loan) (noun) boy (colloquial), lad.
Kei runga ko te poai nei ko Te Uamairangi Tuhimareikura, ka mahi rā i ngā mahi a ōna rangatira (TJ 12/7/1898:4). / On it is the boy, Te Uamairangi Tuhimareikura, who is doing the tasks of his chiefs.
Synonyms: karekata
2. (adjective) be pretty good, not too bad - a colloquialism used to say that a person, or something a person has done, is good or quite good and perhaps better than expected.
He autaia tonu te kōhine rā ki te kōrero Māori. / The girl over there is pretty good at speaking Māori.
3. (modifier) pretty good, not too bad.
Arā anō ētahi tāngata autaia nei te matatau ki te reo (HM 2/1994:3). / There are some other people who are pretty fluent in the language.
Synonyms: nanakia, tōna [pai] nei
4. (modifier) difficult, troublesome - when used before a noun.
Ko ngā taitamariki tonu i kaha ki te whakawai i ō rātou pakeke ki te hokohoko i ō rātou whenua. Ka noho kino te iwi. Tautohetohe tonu ngā tamariki ki ngā pakeke. Ko Rāniera Te Iho-o-te-rangi rāua ko Te Mānihera Te Rangi-taka-i-waho me te tama anō hoki a Te Hiko, me Wī Tāmehana ngā autaia totohe nei (TTR 1990:190) / It was the younger youths who urged their elders to sell their lands. This caused conflict amongst the tribe. The children argued with the elders. Rāniera Te Iho-o-te-rangi and Te Mānihera Te Rangi-taka-i-waho along with Te Hiko's son, Wī Tamehana, were involved in this troublesome dispute.
5. (noun) fellow, bloke, guy, chap, tricky character - sometimes implies a sense of mischief.
I reira ngā koroheke o Taranaki e kōhumuhumu, e tūmatakuru ana ki te whakahīhī rawa o te autaia nei, kei te tamariki tonu ka tū ki te marae o te Kīngi (TTR 2000:30). / There the Taranaki elders were whispering and in consternation at the arrogance of this bloke, who was still a child daring to stand on the King’s marae.
6. (noun) amazing contraption, wondrous sight, extraordinary thing - a term used for something strange, unusual, unfamiliar or awesome. Sometimes a sense of humour is involved in the use of the term.
Katahi ka rere taua autaia nei. Aeha! Me te aha? Me te uira ka hiko i te rangi tōna rite o te haere. Kīhai i mau i te kanohi te hopu te āhua o ngā otaota me ngā rākau o taua whenua i te tere o te haere o taua rerewē (TWMNT 19/5/1874:138). / Then that amazing contraption sped on. Amazing! What was it like? It travelled like the lightning in the heavens. The eye could not catch the appearance of the vegetation and the trees of the land, such was the speed of the train.
miki
1. (loan) (verb) to mix up, mix, combine - a colloquial usage. Sometimes as miki rapu.
Me miki te ngāwhā ki te hopi ngohengohe (TTT 1/8/1927:641). / The sulphur should be mixed with soft soap.
Synonyms: tāranu, konatu, pāhekoheko, whakahanumi, whakawhēranu, whāranu, natu, konanu, kōnatunatu, ranu, whakauruuru, whakananu, kōnanunanu, kōrorirori, whakaranu, kōmitimiti
2. (loan) (noun) mixture, combination.
Ka uia rātou ki tō rātou iwitanga Māori, Pākehā, aha atu, miki rapu noa rānei (Te Ara 2016). / They were asked whether they were Māori, Pākehā, another ethnic group, or a combination of these.
Synonyms: whakawhēranu, pokepoke, ranu, ranunga, whakaranu
2. (loan) (noun) brain, mind - a colloquial figurative use.
Ki te āta whakaarohia e koe, e te tangata koi te pīnati, he aha i kore ai i rite ki te tamariki, ki te mokopuna? (Kāretu 2015). / If you, as someone with a sharp mind, think carefully about it, why is it not like children and grandchildren.
Synonyms: ngākau, whatumanawa, hinengaro, hirikapo, ihomatua
taputapu kē
1. (verb) neat, choice, cool, excellent, terrific, great, fantastic - a colloquialism complimenting the listener(s) on something they have done or achieved.
Synonyms: tōrire, pūhangaiti, tōingo, tau
2. (adjective) be following too closely.
Tau: Ko tēhea wāhi o tō waka i tukia? Ira: Ko muri. He whaiwhai pīhau nō te waka whai muri mai i a au (HJ 2012:132). / Tau: Which part of your vehicle was crashed into? Ira: The back. It was because the vehicle following behind me was too close.
