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Loan words

Historical loan words

Filters

Idioms

Phrases

Proverbs

Loan words

Historical loan words

motu

1. (verb) (-hia,-kia) to sever, cut, cut off, set free, separate.

I reira e motukia ana te kāwai o Rukupō (TTR 1994:98). / Thus Rukupo's line of descent was severed.

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2. (verb) to be separated, moved to a distance - especially in the phrase motu ki te ara.

Kātahi ka kōkiri te matua a Ngāti Raukawa. Ka motu mai ki te ara, ka haere te kaiwhakatakoto i te mānuka, i muri e whana atu ana te kaiwero - ko Kemene Piharau o Wairarapa (TWMNT 12/12/1872:150). / Then Ngāti Raukawa's army thrust forward. When they had moved some distance the man laying down the challenge stick went forward and after that the challenger, Kemene Piharau of Wairarapa, sprang forward.
Nō ngā rā o Hepetema rāua ka motuhia e te Pīhopa o Ākarana ki te tūranga piriti. I motuhia rāua ki Taranaki. / In September they were appointed by the Bishop of Auckland to the position of priest. They were moved to Taranaki.

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3. (verb) to be set free, escape.

Me te weka ka motu i te māhanga (NM 1928:144). / Like a weka escaping from a trap.

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4. (stative) be cut, severed.

I runga i tō rāua nonoketanga ko te kaikōhuru ka motu tōna ringa i te heu, ka ngaua tōna ringa (TP 5/1904:3). / In their struggle the murderer cut his arm with the razor and bit his arm.
Ka kite iho au kua motu te kiko o te tupehau o taku waewae (HP 1991:21). / I saw that the flesh of the calf of my leg had been cut.

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5. (noun) island, country, land, nation, clump of trees, ship - anything separated or isolated.

Ko ētahi wāhi atu o te motu nei ka nui te mate i te waipuke, i te tūpuhi (TWM 5/3/1868:3). / Some other parts of this island have major problems with floods and storms.

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6. (noun) cut, wound.

Ngā motu kikino, nunui, me ngā ringa, waewae raupā: He miro te rongoā. Me tapahi te rākau, ka rere mai te hāpiapia ka pani i te motu, i te ringa i te waewae raupā ranei, ka takai ki te harakeke (TTT 1/12/1929:1955). / Bad and big cuts and calloused hands and feet: Miro is the treatment. The tree should be cut, gum will flow and smear is on the cut, or the calloused hand or foot and wrap it with New Zealand flax.

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mōtū

1. (noun) heavy stone - used for sinkers of nets and fishing lines.

mare motu

1. (noun) whooping cough, pertussis - a highly infectious disease that is spread by coughing and sneezing. It is caused by bacteria which damage the breathing tubes.

Ka wharowharo, he mare motu, tata tonu ia ka rāoa (PK 2008:1160). / She was coughing, it was whooping cough, and she nearly choked.

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Irirangi Te Motu

1. New Zealand On Air.

Motu-rau

1. (location) Lake Manapouri.

Motu-pōhue

1. (location) The Bluff - hill at Bluff south of Invercargill.

He hono tangata e kore e motu, kāpā he taura waka e motu.

1. Blood is thicker than water.

The geneaological connections of people cannot be severed, on the other hand the canoe rope will be severed. /

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Motu-kawa-nui

1. (location) Cavalli Islands.

pōkaitahi ā-motu

1. (noun) national certificate.

motu-o-nui

1. (noun) variety of harakeke from Te Urewera. A traditional variegated ornamental cultivar. Medium height, straight, strong, very wide green blades unevenly striped with white. Very few, very small flower heads.

pōkairua ā-motu

1. (noun) national diploma.

Motu-a-Īhenga, Te

1. Motuihe Island (Hauraki Gulf) - the correct name is Te Motu-a-Ihenga.

Tērā a Motuihe; ko tētahi aronga, he motu nui ana te momo ika nei te ihe, heoi, ko te kōrero tika, ko te ingoa tūturu o taua motu, ko Te Motu-a-Īhenga (Te Ara 2014). / Then there is Motuihe, which could be interpreted as the island where there are plenty of garfish, but the correct information is that the true name of that island is Te Motu-a-Īhenga (the island of Īhenga).

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pūnaha hiko ā-motu

1. (noun) national electricity grid.

Tari Arotake o te Motu, Te

1. (loan) Audit Department.

Tohu Hapori (mahi i te motu), Te

1. Companion of the Queen’s Service Order, QSO – a fourth-level Order for Public Services.

Taku kōkō tangiwai ka motu i te taringa

1. A term of endearment to one who is precious.

My precious translucent greenstone which has been torn from my ear. /

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kere

1. (modifier) quite - an intensifier used with word involving breaking, e.g. poro kere, whati kere, motu kere.

I mangungu kere tō wheua (W 1971:114). / Your bone is quite crushed.
Ka ahu rātou ko te tira i a Hone Hiana mā ki te hui ki Tamihere, heoi, e whakatata ana ki Whatawhata, ka poro kere te tīni o te urunga o te tima, ā, ka rewarewa noa iho te kaipuke (TW 15/6/1878:305). / They and the travelling party with John Sheehan and company headed for the meeting at Tamihere. However, when they were approaching Whatawhata the chain of the steamer's rudder broke and the ship floated free.

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2. (modifier) intensely, exceedingly, extremely, very - an intensive used with words related to darkness.

Ko ētahi iwi o reira he pokere-kahu, arā, he mangu kere te kiri, he iwi haunga ki te noho tata mai. Ā, ko ētahi iwi anō o aua motu rā, he kiritea, ā, he iwi āta noho, he mahora te uru, he iwi ahuwhenua (JPS 1896:4x). / Some of the people of that place were black, that is, with very black skins, a people who had an unpleasant odour when sitting close by. And there were some other people also of those islands with fair skins, who were a peaceful people, an agricultural people.

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