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Filters

Idioms

Phrases

Proverbs

Loan words

Historical loan words

aroha

1. (verb) (-ina,-tia) to love, feel pity, feel concern for, feel compassion, empathise.

Aroha ana ngā tangi a ō mātou wāhine (HM 4/2009:1). / The crying of our women was heart-rending.

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Synonyms: whakaaroha, kūwata, whakaipo, kanehe, ipo, pohane, murimuri aroha, kūata, taupuhi


2. (modifier) loving, affectionate, caring, compassionate, kindly, sympathetic, benevolent.

Kātahi ka pātai mai ki a au, he aha tōku hiahia. Kātahi au ka whakautu atu, kia ūhia te whakaaro aroha ki runga katoa i ngā taitama nei (HP 1991:292). / Then he asked me what I wanted. I responded that these youths should all be shown compassion.

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Synonyms: mākoha, atawhai, mateoha


3. (noun) affection, sympathy, charity, compassion, love, empathy.

He nui ngā whakaputanga o te aroha. He atawhai, he manaaki manuhiri, he āwhina, he whakaaro, he muru hara, he mananui ki ngā hē o te tangata, he matapō ki ngā hē o ērā atu (RK 1994:51). / There are many expressions of love, including caring, giving hospitality to visitors, helping, being considerate, forgiving sins, putting up with someone's errors, and being blind to the faults of others.
Tērā tātau e rongo kei te tuwha haere a Henare i ana hipi, i ana kau ki a Ngāti Porou, hei kaihaukai māna ki tōna iwi, he nui nō tōna aroha! (TP 7/1900:8). / We have heard that, because of his charity, Henare is distributing his sheep and cows to Ngāti Porou as feasts for his people.

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See also aroha nui

aroha mai

1. (verb) sorry, I'm sorry, my apologies - a modern usage.

aroha nui

1. much love, with deep affection - often used in signing off letters to friends.

murimuri aroha

1. (verb) to yearn for, grieve deeply.

Ka murimuri aroha ki a Te Ruruanga (W 1971:214). / Yearning for Te Ruruanga.

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Synonyms: ohia, tameme, hōkaka, ingoingo, wawata, warawara, wara, konau, muri aroha, ingo, kōnohi, āwhitu


2. (noun) deep sympathy, sad thoughts, grief, loving greeting, deep affection, affection, love.

Ka pōturi te haere a Tauhara, he murimuri aroha nōna ki a Pīhanga (Te Ara 2011) / Tauhara travelled slowly, looking back longingly at Pīhanga.

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Synonyms: muri aroha, kūata, kūwata, aroha, taupuhi, kanehe, ipo, pohane, whakaipo

ngākau aroha

1. (modifier) empathetic, sympathetic, compassionate, kindhearted, considerate, caring, benevolent.

Ka kitea ai he tangata atawhai, ngākau aroha a Te Rangikawehea (EM 2002:150). / It was realised that Te Rangikawehea was a kindly, caring person.

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2. (noun) empathy, sympathy, compassion, kindheartedness, kindness, consideration, caring, benevolence.

Kaua rawa atu koe e whakamanamana, engari me haere koe i runga i te ngākau whakaiti me te ngākau aroha (EM 2002:228). / You must not be boastful, but you should go with modesty and compassion.

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Synonyms: tauwhirotanga, manaakitanga, ngāwari, atawhai

maimai aroha

1. (noun) expression of affection, token of affection - including the volley of shots traditionally shot at a tangihanga.

Ka kī tonu taua urupā i te tāngata, kīhai i mene ki roto, tū noa mai ētahi i waho, ka mutu te karakia ka whiua ngā pare puawānanga ki roto ki te poka, ka pūhia e ngā Waranatia ngā waipū e toru, he maimai aroha ki te tūpāpaku (TWMNT 2/10/1872:130). / The cemetery was full up with people and they could not all enter, some stood outside and when the service ended the clematis garlands were thrown into the hole and the Volunteers shot three volleys as a token of affection for the deceased.

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2. (noun) song of affection for the dead.

See also maimai

waiata aroha

1. (noun) song of love - have tunes similar to waiata tangi and are sung without set actions.

Kātahi ka kī atu ki ana tamariki, kia mahia he kōauau (tētehi ingoa he whio). Ka oti, ka hanga ngā puta e toru, kātahi ka whakatangihia e te wahine rā tana waiata aroha mō tana tāne me tōna iwi (JPS 1897:104). / Then she told her children to make a flute, which they did, making three holes in it, and then the woman played her song of love for her husband and her people.

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muri aroha

1. (verb) to yearn for, grieve deeply.

Ka muri aroha ki tana hoa kua riro (PK 2008:484). / She grieves deeply for her friend who has departed.

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Synonyms: wawata, warawara, wara, konau, ingo, tameme, āwhitu, ohia, murimuri aroha, ingoingo, hōkaka, kōnohi


2. (noun) deep sympathy, sad thoughts, grief, loving greeting, deep affection.

Māna e homai te muri aroha ki a tāua nā (M 2006:364). / He will give us a loving greeting.

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Synonyms: murimuri aroha

aroha ana

1. how sad, poor things.

Aroha ana rātou i te mea 150 nei pea mātou te hunga whakaeke, ā, waimarie ka eke te hunga kāinga ki te tekau! (HM 4/1998:7). / How sad for them because there was about 150 of us, the visitors. And the hosts would be lucky to reach ten!

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Synonyms: i wā rātou nei (hoki)

hanga aroha (ana)

1. it's heartbreaking, it's sad, it's tragic, it's heart-rending, it's pitiful - an idiom to express one's pity. It can also be used in a sarcastic manner.

He hanga aroha te reo o ēnei kaumātua rongonui (TTT 1/10/1924:120). / The voices of these well-known elders was heart-rending.
Hanga aroha ana i te mea e tamariki tonu ana rāua ka riro nei. / It was quite sad becausethe two who had died were still young.
Hanga aroha ana rā tērā. / That's sad.

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ka aroha (kē) (hoki) ...

1. how sad, how disappointing, what a pity - an idiom used to express sympathy, disappointment or regret. It can also be used in a sarcastic way or to emphasise an idea.

Ka aroha hoki tō tātou tīma! / What a pity about our team!
Ka aroha kē hoki te pouaru me ā rāua tamariki tokowhā (HJ 2012:30). / How sad for the widow and their four children.

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mō te ... , ka aroha kē

1. when it comes to ... it's terrible - an idiom to criticise something or the nature of someone.

Pai kē a Taewaru ki te karo mahi, engari mō te kai, kā aroha kē! (HKK 1999:53). / Taewaru is pretty good at dodging work, but when it comes to eating, he's terrible!

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kete aronui

1. (noun) basket of knowledge of aroha, peace and the arts and crafts which benefit the Earth and all living things - one of the three baskets of knowledge. This basket relates to knowledge acquired through careful observation of the environment. It is also the basket of ritual, of literature, philosophy and is sometimes regarded as the basket of the humanities.

(Te Māhuri Textbook (Ed. 2): 123;)

Haramai, e mau tō ringa ki te kete tuauri, ki te kete tuatea, ki te kete aronui, i pikitia e Tāne-nui-a-rangi i te ara tauwhāiti, i te Pū-motomoto o Tikitiki-o-rangi (M 2006:6). / Come, grasp in your hand the kit of sacred knowledge, the kit of ancestral knowledge, the kit of life's knowledge, procured when the renowned-Tāne-of-the-heavens ascended by the tenuous pathway, thro' the Entrance to the Uppermost-heaven (M 2006:7).

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See also kete o te wānanga

arohanui

1. (noun) with deep affection - often used in signing off letters to friends. More correctly, it should be written as two words, aroha nui.

kōnonohi

1. (verb) to yearn, grieve - often followed by aroha.

Tangi mai, e te hoa, mā te ao o te uru e kononohi nei e kawe mai te aroha nā (TWMNT 15/12/1874:314). / Weep there, my friend, may the clouds of the west where I grieve convey my affection.

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2. (noun) yearning, grieving.

Puta mai ana te kōnonohi me te muri aroha i te ngākau ina titiro atu ki te tini o te tamariki e whai ana, e whakatau haere ana i muri i te kāwhena o tō rātou hoa (TWMNT 5/10/1875:230). / The sight of all the many children following after the coffin of their friend brought out the grieving and deep sympathy in the heart.

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kōnohinohi

1. (verb) to yearn, grieve - often followed by aroha.

E noho ana anō i tōku taumata rā i Te Tīpoki, ka kōnohinohi te paipa ki te ngutu (M 2007:360). / I am resting on my resting platform at Te Tīpoki, wanting so much to pipe to the lips (M 2007:361).

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2. (noun) yearning, grieving - often followed by aroha.

Nā i a Hinauri anō e ngaro atu ana i tōna kāinga tupu, ka noho nei tōna tungāne, a Rupe, ka māharahara ki a ia, ā, ka puta mai te kōnohinohi aroha o te tuahine ki a ia (NM 1928:25). / So while Hinauri was away from her ancestral home her brother, Rupe, remained there and he became concerned for her, and the sister's yearning for him emerged.

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Penfold, Merimeri

1. (personal name) CNZOM (1924- 2014) Ngāti Kurī. Lecturer in Māori language at Auckland University for more than 30 years from which she has received an honorary Doctorate. She was a member of the Māori Education Foundation, the University of Auckland Marae Establishment Committee and an executive member of the Broadcasting Commission from 1989 to 1991. Dr Penfold was also a co-member of the editorial team that worked on the seventh edition of Williams Dictionary of the Maori Language. She has translated nine of Shakespeare's sonnets, Ngā Waiata Aroha a Hekepia. She was made a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to Māori in 2001.

muri

1. (verb) to sigh, grieve, mourn - often in the phrases muri aroha, muri ahiahi, muri awatea and muri a pō, especially in mōteatea.

E muri ahiahi takoto ki te moenga, ē, ko taku kiri māngi te tirohia mai nā, ē (M 2004:196). / With the fall of eventide I lay me down to sleep, it is my distressful state you do now gaze upon (M 2004:197).
Tahuna mai, e Rangi', ki te ahi taraiti, ka muri aroha noa te tōnga o te rā, te rerenga ki te rua (M 2004:184). / Kindle now, O Rangi, a fire near me; before the setting of the sun, which will bring me sad thoughts; when it sinks into the abyss (M 2004:185).

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Synonyms: takuate, tangitangi, tauā, rohi, tangi, rāhiri, taurere, huamo


2. (noun) breeze.

I rere atu te puke rā i Kuipeka, i te 17, he tā tika i reira, he muri hauāuru, mau tonu taua kōmurimuri i te awa o Hana Ranena, ā, te Koru (TKM 17/6/1852:2). / The ship left Quebec about the 17th with a light favourable wind from the westward, which continued with her down the St Lawrence to the Gulf.

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