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Idioms

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Proverbs

Loan words

Historical loan words

Filters

Idioms

Phrases

Proverbs

Loan words

Historical loan words

ngutu

1. (noun) lip.

Tāia ana ngā ngutu, ā ka kitea ka horotea, ka tāruatia (W 1971:62). / The lips were tattooed and when it was seen that it had faded it was done again.

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Synonyms: niao


2. (noun) beak, bill - usually in the plural.

Kāore e kitea he kākā nui ake i te kākāpō o Aotearoa. He kaha tonu ōna ngutu, ā, he pewa te āhua, pērā tonu i te katoa o ngā momo kākā (HM 4/1998:4). / There is no larger parrot than the kākāpō of New Zealand. Its beak is quite strong and it is curved, just like all parrot species.

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3. (noun) entrance (of a cave, river, etc.), river mouth.

Mehemea e kapi ana a waho o te ngutu, kōkiritia tonutia ki waenganui tonu o te matua, engari kia inaki tonu te rere o ngā toa hāpai rākau ki mua (JPS 1919:86). / If outside the entrance is closely guarded, attack right at the middle of the army, but rush as a tightly packed group of warriors with weapons raised in front.

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4. (noun) muzzle (of a gun).

He mea amo te pū a Te Awheroa, ko te ngutu o te pū i hurihia ki muri ki a Hāre Ngaika e haere ana i muri i a ia (TWMNT 10/12/1873:182). / Te Awheroa carried his gun on his shoulder with the muzzle turned towards Hāre Ngaika, who was walking behind him.

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Synonyms: māngai


5. (noun) rim (of a container), mouthpiece (of a calabash or musical instrument).

Ka taha te patu i tōna angaanga, ka pakaru ko te tahā, mau mai i a ia ko te ngutu anake o te tahā rā (NM 1938:78). / The weapon passed by his skull, breaking the calabash, leaving him holding only the mouthpiece of the calabash.

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ngutu parore

1. (noun) wrybill, Anarhynchus frontalis - a pale-grey wading bird with a black bill, the tip of which is curved to the right. Breeds in the shingle riverbeds of Canterbury and Otago from August to January, migrating to estuaries of the North Island for the rest of the year.

(Te Pihinga Textbook (Ed. 2): 9;)

ngutu kākāriki

1. (noun) Prince of Wales Feathers, crape fern, Leptopteris superba - native tufted ground fern, often with a short woody trunk. Fronds tapered equally at both ends, very finely divided. Fluffy to touch. Grows best in cool, wet forest. Frond tapers at both ends.

ngutu pare

1. (noun) wrybill, Anarhynchus frontalis - a pale-grey wading bird with a black bill, the tip of which is curved to the right. Breeds in the shingle riverbeds of Canterbury and Otago from August to January, migrating to estuaries of the North Island for the rest of the year.

(Te Pihinga Textbook (Ed. 2): 9;)

See also ngutu parore

ngutu rakiraki

1. (noun) flax clappers - made by splitting the bottom woody end of the flax leaf and bending one half back, so that when the wrist holding the ngutu rakiraki is flicked the two blades slap together.

See also pākēkē, pākōkō

ngutu atamai

1. (modifier) quick-witted, smart, sharp.

He wahine ngutu atamai, mātauranga uiui, ngākau māhaki nei a Airini (TTR 2000:65). / Airini was a quick-witted woman, curious and humble.

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ngutu komekome

1. (modifier) crabby, grumpy.

He kuia ngutu komekome tērā wahine, he amuamu i ngā wā katoa. / That woman is a grumpy old lady, she complains all the time.

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ngutu riwha

1. (noun) cleft lip, hare lip - a congenital split in the upper lip.

pani ngutu

1. (noun) lipstick.

Synonyms: ripitiki

ngutu kākā

1. (noun) kākā beak, Clianthus maximus - a many-branched, spreading shrub with clusters of large, bright scarlet flowers. Larger plant than Clianthus puniceus and has glossy leaflets. Now rare in the wild.

ngutu tere

1. (verb) to be untrustworthy, unreliable (of people).

Ko ngā tāngata e whai moni ana hei utu mō te rūritanga, e kaha ana, e ngutu tere ana hoki ki te kōrero i roto i te Kōti, ko ngā mea ēnā e riro ai ngā karauna karāti—, ā mate ana te tangata kūare, te tangata tika (TWMNT 29/10/1873:134). / The people who have money to pay for the survey have the power but are untrustworthy when speaking in the Court, those are the ones who obtain the crown grants, and the person who is uneducated but the right person is defeated.

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2. (modifier) untrustworthy, unreliable.

Ko te kaiwhakaatu ngutu tere e kōrero rūpahu ana (Ng 1993:145). / The unreliable witness is telling lies.

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3. (noun) rumour monger.

Ka hoki tā mātou kōrero ki te whai kupu atu ki ngā hoa Māori kia kaua e whakaponohia ngā tini kōrero horihori noa iho e tae noa ake ana ki a rātou i ēnei takiwā. Tōna wāhi i hua mai ai, tōna tīmatanga i tupu mai ēnei kōrero, e kore rawa e āhei te rapu; puta kau ana te kōrero, nāwai ā, te hohoro o te ngutu tere ki te kawekawe haere, āpiti hoki ko tā tēnā ko tā tēnā i whakaaro noa ake ai, hei whakanui kau i taua kōrero (TMT 1/3/1861:4). / Our discussion returns to advise our Māori friends to not give credence to the many false tales that reach them from time to time. Where these rumours originate, it is difficult to find but after a time the rumour mongers circulate and embellish them.

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ngutu hore

1. (modifier) wasteful, extravagent.

Kātahi te tangata ngutu hore, ko Pareho (HKK 1999:55). / What a wasteful person Pareho is.

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ngutu momoho

1. (modifier) talkative, scurrilous, slanderous, scandalous, defamatory.

I tino āwhitu a ia i ngā kōrero ngutu momoho i rongohia e ia (Ng 1993:416). / She was deeply hurt by the scurrilous remarks she overheard (Ng 1993:416).

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2. (modifier) abusive.

I tētehi o ngā hui, ka whakawhiua rāua ki te haka ngutu momoho, me te mutunga mai o te whakamanioro i te tangata, arā, ka whakapohane mai ngā wāhine ki a rāua (TTR 1996:214). / At one of the gatherings they were subjected to abusive haka, and the ultimate gesture of contempt, that is the women did the whakapohane to them.

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ngutu huia

1. (noun) talkative person, know-all, clever Dick.

He mōhio ake te ngutu huia rā i tō tātou kaiako! / That know-all is more knowledgeable than our teacher!

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Synonyms: whakaputa mōhio

ngutu roa

1. (noun) kiwi.

See also kiwi

ngutu tewha

1. (noun) garrulous person, talkative person – especially someone with little of substance to say.

He ngutu tewha – he pukukōrero, ka mutu kāore he kiko o ana kōrero (HJ 2017:22). / A garrulous person – talkative and what she says is of no substance.

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ngutu kotete

1. (noun) tiresomely talkative person.

He ngutu kotete – he kōrero tonu, he kōrero tonu, kāore e paku ngā te manawa (HJ 2017:22). / A tiresomely talkative person – talks and talks without the slightest pause for breath.

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ngutu maioro

1. (noun) nasty talk, one who constantly finds fault.

He nui ngā tāngata kua mamae i ngā tao kupu a tērā ngutu maioro (HJ 2017:23). / Many people have been hurt by the barbs of that one who constantly finds fault.

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mōhio ngutu

1. (experience verb) to know only superficially.

E mōhio ngutu ana tā tātou kōrero ki roto i ngā nūpepa (TKP 25/1/1858:2). / Our story is only known superficially in the newspapers.

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ngutu kau

1. (modifier) hypocritical, two-faced.

Ka unga ia e ahau ki te iwi ngutu kau (PT Ihaia 10:6). / I will send him against an hypocritical nation.

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See also noho ngutu kau


2. (noun) mere talk, just talk, empty promise, one who makes an empty promise.

Nā, mō te taha ki a Tā Hōri Kerei. Kua maha noa ngā mea pai i kīia e ia kia tukua ki ngā Māori, engari kāore anō i mana noa tētahi o ana kupu, arā tētahi o ngā mea i whakaae ai ia; nō konei ko ngā Māori i āhua whakapono ki a ia i mua ai kua mōhio ināianei he ngutu kau āna kōrero, kāore he tinanatanga, he wairua kau (TWMNT 25/1/1879:257). / With regard to Sir George Grey, he has said many good things would be given to the Māori but not one of his promises have been fulfilled; even the Māori who were inclined to believe him, now know that his words are mere talk, nothing tangible can be expected.

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Synonyms: kai ā-waha

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