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Idioms

Phrases

Proverbs

Loan words

Historical loan words

Filters

Idioms

Phrases

Proverbs

Loan words

Historical loan words

whakaipo

1. (verb) (-hia,-tia) to court, woo, treat with affection, cherish.

E mātakitaki ana te tangata i te toa e whakaipo ana i te uwha. / The man is watching the male animal making up to the female.

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2. (modifier) love.

Titoa ana e Paraire te waiata whakaipo nei a 'Pōkarekare ana', ā, waiatatia atu ana e ia ki a Kuīni me ōna tīpuna o Ngāti Porou i te marae o Te Poho-o-Rāwiri (TTR 1996:256). / Paraire composed the love song 'Pokarekare ana', and he sang it to Kuīni and her Ngāti Porou elders on Te Poho-o-Rāwiri marae.

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

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

taupuhi

1. (noun) darling, chosen one, beloved, loved one, love.

Arā a Te Mahutu e tū ana, ka mau ki tana mere, ka tukua āna maimai aroha ki te taupuhi o tōna manawa, ki a Puhiwahine (TTR 1994:94). / There stood Te Mahutu, holding his mere, and then he delivered his words of affection to the love of his heart, Puhiwahine.

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Synonyms: kūata, kūwata, aroha, whakaipo, kanehe, ipo, pohane, murimuri aroha, tōrere

ipo

1. (modifier) love, pertaining to love.

He waiata ipo (W 1971:79). / A love song.

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


2. (noun) lover, sweetheart, darling, beloved one.

E taku ipo, ka mau tonu taku aroha mōu kia hake rā anō taku tuarā (PK 2008:173). / My beloved, my love for you will remain firm until my back is bent.

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Synonyms: hoa tākunekune, tau o te ate, tau, makau, tahu, kairoro, whaiāipo

whaiāipo

1. (verb) to be in love with.

Ko Tākitimu te whare pai ngā waihanga, engari nō taku kitenga i a Porourangi heoi anō kua ngaro ōku mahara ki a Takitimu, kua riro katoa kua whaiāipo ki a Porourangi; i te tamatāne o te āhua, o te tū o te whare; i te rite, i te ātanga, o ngā whakairo, o ngā pou, o ngā pakitara, o te tungaroa, me te whatitoka, me te roro, me te matapihi, me ngā arapaki, kāore he rite i i kitea e ahau i te motu katoa nei, hāunga hoki ngā tuhituhi o ngā heke me te tāhū. (TP 1/7/1902:6). / Tākitimu was built beautifully, but when I saw Porourangi my thoughts about Tākitimu were forgotten and I fell in love with Porourangi; the youthful masculinity of the house's appearance and structure; the architecture and beauty of the carvings, posts, walls, the back wall and the door, verandah, window and the ornamental lattice-work, and not to mention the paintings of the rafters and the ridgepole.

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2. (noun) sweetheart, lover, betrothed, fiancé, fiancée, boyfriend, girlfriend.

Ko te kōrero nō te takiwā ki Hauraki tēnei waiata; engari kua huri i te motu, ā kua waiho hei waiata mā ngā wāhine e whakamomori ana ki ā rātau whaiāipo (TTT 1/12/1928:97). / It is said that this song is from the Hauraki area; but it has spread throughout the country and it has become a song for women who are grieving for their lovers.

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Synonyms: hoa tākunekune, tau o te ate, tau, makau, tahu, kairoro, ipo

mate

1. (stative) be dead, deceased, killed.

E kīia ana, nā tētahi kuia o Tūhourangi, he tangi mō ngā rangatira maha o tērā iwi i mate i te horonga o Mokoia i a Ngā Puhi (M 2004:134). / It is said that it is a lament by an elderly woman of Tūhourangi for the many chiefs of that tribe who were killed by Ngā Puhi in the fall of Mokoia.

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Synonyms: marū, hāmate, hinga


2. (stative) be sick, ill, ailing, unwell, diseased.

Hei ētahi wa i te Māori e mate ana, i te ohonga ake i te pō e kī ana tōna waha i te toto (TPH 15/6/1902:1). / Sometimes when a Māori person is ill, on waking in the night her mouth will be full of blood.

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3. (stative) be overcome, beaten, defeated, conquered, vanquished.

Maia-a-te-ahu. Kei roto o Uawa, kei te huarahi atu i Mangaheia ki Waimata, i mate ai Te Aitanga-a-Hauiti i a Ngāti Porou (M 2004:144). / Maia-a-te-ahu. A place in the Ūawa valley (Tolaga Bay), on the road from Mangaheia to Waimata, and the place where Te Aitanga-a-Hauiti were defeated by Ngāti Porou.

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Synonyms: takapapa, pārure, whakatūoi, whara, poke, kake, where, pāpā, wikitōria, whakatina, tārū, hinga, poko, raupatu, tae


4. (stative) be in want of, lacking, overcome, deeply in love.

Tekau, tae ki tekau mā rua ngā rā e haere puku ai te kāmera e kore e mate i te hemokai, i te kore wai rānei (TWMNT 15/3/1897:341). / The camel can go without food for ten to twelve days without being overcome by hunger or lack of water.

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Synonyms: wharepā, kore


5. (stative) be extinguished.

Ehara, kua weto taua ahi. Ana, tae rawa atu hoki a Mahuika ki te whare, kua mate noa iho i te ua (NM 1928:19). / Low and behold, the fire had been put out. And so when Mahuika returned to the house, it had been extinguished by the rain.

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6. (stative) be calmed down, decreased, diminished, subsided, abated (of the sea, wind, etc.).

Nō te 10 o ngā rā ka mate te hau, kātahi ka rere ngā tima tae ana anō ki Ōpōtiki (TWM 23/9/1865:2). / On the 10th day the wind subsided, then the ships sailed arriving again at Ōpōtiki.

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Synonyms: māriri, mauru


7. (noun) death.

E kīia ana hoki ko te take nui i haere mai ai te ope a Hongi Hika, i whakaekea ai a Mokoia, he takitaki i te mate o Te Pae-o-te-rangi rātau ko ōna hoa o Ngā Puhi, i patua e Tūhourangi ki Motutawa, i Rotokākahi (M 2004:134). / And it is said the main cause for the raid by the war party of Hongi Hika, which attacked Mokoia Island, was to avenge the death of Te Pae-o-te-rangi and his Ngā Puhi comrades, who had been killed by Tūhourangi on the island of Motutawa in Rotokākahi lake (Green Lake) (M 2004:135).

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8. (noun) misfortune, problem, defect, trouble, defeat, calamity.

Kātahi anō ka ea te mate o Ngā Puhi (JPS 1990:33). / Then finally the defeat of Ngā Puhi was avenged.

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Synonyms: maruaaitu, maiki, maikiroa, aituā, wairuatoa, raru, kūrakuraku, pōrahurahu, pōraruraru, uaua, whakararuraru, whakararu, māniania, hara, rararu, raruraru


9. (noun) sickness, illness, disease.

(Te Pihinga Textbook (Ed. 2): 156-157; Te Māhuri Textbook (Ed. 2): 121-125, 127, 132-135;)

E kīia ana i pāngia ia e tētahi mate pīwa (TP 8/1899 suppl:2). / It is said that he was suffering from a fever.

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10. (noun) desire, need, want.

Heoi pāngia iho taua tamaiti e te mate i te kai, me te rawakoretanga (TPH 30/12/1900:1) / And so that boy was overcome by the need for food and by poverty.

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Synonyms: matainaina, minaka, matawara, hiahia, pīrangi, hemo

onioni

1. (verb) (-a,-tia) to move, wriggle, have sexual intercourse, copulate, make love.

`I hangaia e ia he ture kia kore ai te tangata e poka noa; e onioni i waenga pārae (TTR 1990:313). / He made laws whereby a person would not have unregulated sexual conduct in open places.

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Synonyms: mahimahi, ai, kaneke, ngatete, kori, tākiri, koni, korikori, neke, paheke, panuku, whakakorikori, , konikoni, hūnuku, tīkape, oreore, kareu, whakangāueue, rangaranga, takataka, neneke, ngatē, ngeungeu, oraora, pakuku, pīoraora, heke, nuku, ki hori, hiki


2. (modifier) copulating, making love, having sex.

Hai ngā whakairo kitea ai te ure tāne me te tara wahine tae atu ki te mahi onioni (Te Ara 2016). / Male and female sexual organs are seen in carvings, including sexual intercourse.

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3. (noun) sexual intercourse.

E whakaatu ana te taupoki o tēnei waka huia i te onioni a te tāne me te wahine (Te Ara 2016). / The lid of this treasure box shows sexual intercourse of a male with a woman.

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pohane

1. (verb) (-a,-tia) to desire earnestly.

E pohane tonu nei te ngākau ki te mātauranga— (TWMNT 11/8/1874:199). / We earnestly desire learning.

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2. (verb) to practise sodomy.


3. (noun) sexual attraction.

Takakautanga - ka rongo pea te tangata i te pohane engari kāore e ai i runga i ōna anō whakaaro, i ngā whakaa ā-whakapono rānei. (F 2019: 45) / Celibacy - where someone may experience sexual attraction but choose not to have sex for personal or faith-based reasons.

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4. (verb) to expose the bum.

Ko te kau a te manu i runga i te wai, ka tūpou ka pohane ā ka maranga ake (M 2004:36). / The swimming of a bird on the water, it ducks down with the hind end up and then rises up.

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5. (noun) love, affection, desire, lust.

Ka mate au i te pohane ki taku hoa (PK 2008:648). / I earnestly desire my friend.

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Synonyms: mate kanehe, kūata, kūwata, aroha, taupuhi, kanehe, ipo, murimuri aroha, whakaipo

ruri

1. (noun) short love ditty, poem, jingle.

Ko ngā ruri, ko ngā mata, ko ngā ngeri, ko ngā haka, ko ngā karakia kāore ēnā i whāwhātia i tēnei wā (M 2004:xx). / Ditties, prophetic songs, chants, posture dances and ritualistic chants have not been dealt with as yet.

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Synonyms: tatangi

ruriruri

1. (verb) to stagger, tremble, totter, walk unsteadily.

Ko te waha kei te pai noa iho ki te kōrero, ko ngā waewae ia kei te ruriruri (TP 11/1909:8). / The mouth functions quite well with speech, but the legs stagger about.

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2. (noun) short love ditty.

Ka kite au i ngā tāngata me ngā wāhine e puta hurori mai ana ki waho, hāmama ana ō rātou māngai, puta ana ngā kupu a tētahi ki tētahi, tau mai ana te whakamā ki ahau; tū ana ngā haka me ngā ruriruri, he nui atu te kino o ngā kōrero, ānō kua rēweratia (KO 17/5/1886:4). / I saw men and women staggering out, shouting to each other, and I was ashamed; they performed haka and bawdy ditties and what they said was terrible, as if they had been taken over by the devil.

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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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aroha nui

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

mateoha

1. (verb) to be loving, affectionate, fond of.

He tangata ngāwari, he hūmārie, he mateoha, he atawhai tangata, he tangata whakapono (TP 1/6/1902:9). / He was a gentle, pleasant, loving person, who showed kindness to people, a person who believed.

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Synonyms: aroha


2. (modifier) lovable, endearing, adorable.

Ko Erihāpeti Ngā Roimata he kōtiro mateoha (TTR 1990:105). / Erihapeti Ngā Roimata, was a lovable child.

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3. (noun) loveableness, adorability, endearingness.

E tino arohatia ai tātou ehara i te mea mā ā tātou mahi nunui, engari mā ā tātou tikanga ririki, mā te ngāwari, mā te hūmārie, mā te mateoha, mā te atawhai i te tangata, mā tō tātou pēhi i ō tātou nei whakaaro, hiahia, me tō tātou wareware ki a tātou anō, ka whakaaro kē ko ērā atu (HKW 1/6/1902:9). / We are loved not because of our great deeds, but for the little things, for affability, geniality, for other endearing qualities, for kindness to people, for our suppression of our own thoughts and desires and for forgetting about ourselves, but instead thinking of others.

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kanehe

1. (noun) trifle, anything small.

Tēnei ka tukua atu e au ngā kanehe kupu e torutoru noa iho nei koa, māu e whakaatu ki ngā hoa Māori (HTK 5/1/1895:3). / I am sending these few trifling words for you to publish for our Māori friends.

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2. (noun) desire, want, wish, affection, love - often follows mate.

Koirā kē te kanehe nui o te hunga kei te ako tonu, arā, kia puta he kupu whakatika, he kupu āwhina (TTTT 2006:14). / That's the main wish of the people still learning, that is that they are corrected and helped.

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See also mate kanehe

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

kete uruuru matua

1. (noun) basket of peace, goodness and love - one of the three baskets of knowledge and an alternative name from the Ngāti Kahungunu and Ngāi Tahu traditions for te kete aronui.

Ko te kete uruuru matua, te taonga o tenei kete he maunga rongo, he aroha, he whakairo, he mahi kai, he marae (JPS 1926:333). / This basket, called kete uruuru matua, contains the treasures of peace, love, carving, gardening and hospitality.

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See also kete aronui, kete o te wānanga

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

ātaahua

1. (stative) be beautiful, handsome, pleasant, pretty, good-looking, gorgeous, lovely.

Ātaahua ana ā rātou hei (HM 2/2009:10). / Their necklaces are beautiful.

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Synonyms: turua, tau, purotu, waiwaiā, koea, hūmārie, hūmārire, ātanga, pīwari, ngāwari, matareka, hūmārika, rēhia, kakato, rawe, rekareka, hāneanea, ngohengohe, pai, manini, āhuareka, reka, āhumehume, pārekareka, harakoa


2. (modifier) beautiful, handsome, pleasant, pretty, good-looking, gorgeous, lovely.

Ahakoa koe he manu iti, otirā e rere ana koe i runga i ngā rākau ātaahua, teitei hoki noho mai ai (TKO 10/1913:3). / Although you are but a small bird you fly up to the beautiful, tall trees to perch.

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3. (noun) beauty.

Ākuanei ia ka mea, ahakoa rite tō ātaahua ki tō te makipai, kāore koe e mōhio ki te waiata i tētahi rangi kotahi (Popi 1887:66). / Presently, he said that although your beauty is like a magpie’s, you do not know how to sing a single tune.

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Synonyms: rerehua, waiwaiā, hūmārie, tau, hūmārire, ātanga, purotu

ātahu

1. (verb) (-ngia) to charm, bewitch, captivate, enchant, beguile.

Kātahi ka ātahungia aua iwi katoa nei (KO 22/8/1887:7). / Then all those people were charmed.

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2. (modifier) charismatic.

Manawarū ana ia ki te ātaahua me te mana ātahu o Maata (TTR 1996:79). / She was impressed with Martha's beauty and charisma.

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3. (noun) love charm, spell, charm.

Nā te ngutu atamai me te ātahu ōna i ōkakatia ia e te katoa o te hunga e tūtaki ana ki a ia i ā rātou tini hāereere ko tōna iwi (TTR 1994:93). / She and her people travelled extensively, and her wit and charm captivated all those with whom she came in contact.

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wewehe

1. (verb) to fall in love, be enamoured, lovesick.

I reira ka wewehe a ia. Ko te tau o tana ate ko te wāhine pūwhero rā, ko Materoa Ngārimu (TTR 1996:12). / There he fell in love. The object of his desires was that high-born woman, Materoa Ngārimu.

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mahimahi

1. (verb) to copulate, have sexual intercourse, have sex, make love.

Ka puta te kupu a Te-manu-i-te-rā ki a Tāwhaki, "Kaua e puta ki waho i tā kōrua whare mahimahi ai, kei werohia korua e ngā hihi o Te-manu-i-te-rā.’ Kīhai i whakarongo a Tāwhaki, puta ana ki waho mahimahi ai (JPS 1892:22x). / Te-manu-i-te-rā (The-bird-in-the-sun) said to Tāwhaki, "Do not go out of your house to make love, lest you be pierced by Te-manu-i-te-rā's rays." Tāwhaki did not listen, and they went outside and made love.

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Synonyms: ai, onioni


2. (noun) sexual intercourse, love-making, copulation, sex.

Nā, ka mutu tā rāua mahimahi, haere kē ana a Tāwhaki ki tētehi wāhi kē atu (JPS 1892:22x). / Now, when their love making had ended, Tāwhaki went away to a different place.

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3. (noun) low-born, commoner, plebeian.


4. (noun) hīnau, Elaeocarpus dentatus - tall forest tree with long leaves, whitish underneath and producing masses of white flowers and edible berries, the pounded kernels of which form a meal from which hīnau bread is baked, while the bark is used for dye for the initial stage of producing the black of muka.

See also hīnau

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