mā - Te Aka Māori Dictionary

mā

1. (particle) for - indicating future possession. Used in this way when the possessor will have control of the relationship or is dominant, active or superior to what is possessed.

(Te Kākano Textbook (Ed. 2): 64; Te Pihinga Study Guide (Ed. 1): 9-10; Te Kākano Textbook (Ed. 2): 54-56, 140-141;)

Mā Mū tēnei pukapuka. / This book is for Mū.

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2. (particle) by, made by, acted on - mā combines with e to form a future tense emphasising who or what will do the action, sometimes called the actor emphatic. This grammatical construction is only used with transitive verbs, not with intransitive verbs, with statives (neuter verbs), or with verbs in the passive.

(Te Kākano Textbook (Ed. 2): 65; Te Kākano Study Guide (Ed. 1): 41-42;)

Mā tōku matua koe e whakahoki. / My father will take you back.

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Synonyms: nā

3. (particle) Used with hei to show relationships.

(Te Pihinga Textbook (Ed. 2): 54;)

Hei irāmutu a Aroha mā Hēni. / Aroha is Jane's niece.

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4. (particle) by way of, via, through.

(Te Kākano Textbook (Ed. 2): 47-48; Te Pihinga Textbook (Ed. 2): 66;)

Ka haere rātou mā Taupō. / They'll go via Taupō.

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5. (particle) by means of, on - followed by runga.

Haere ai tō mātau pāpā ki tana mahi mā runga hōiho (HP 1991:27). / Our father went to his work by horseback.

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mā

1. (adjective) be white, clean.

Kīhai i roa te pōuriuritanga iho, ka puta mai te kāhui manu, he mā ngā māhunga (NIT 1995:19). / It wasn't long after dark when a flock of birds with white heads appeared.

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2. (modifier) white, clean, faded, pale.

Mehemea he paru te paraihe, ka hē te māhunga mā (TTT 1/4/1923). / If the brush is dirty the clean hair will be contaminated.

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Synonyms: teatea, kōmā, horotea, kōtea, taitea, mōtea

mā

1. (verb) by way of, go via - an unusual usage of mā as a verb followed by a locative.

Nō te taenga ki te wahapū o Wirameta, i te taha mauī o Koramia, ka mā roto o te awa, tae noa ki te motu o Wapato. / On reaching the mouth of the Willamette, on the left side of the Columbia, we ascended the stream, right to Wappatoo Island.

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-mā-

1. (particle) Used to join two compass points to indicate a direction midway between the two, e.g. tonga-mā-uru south-west.

(Te Kōhure Textbook (Ed. 2): 113;)

Kei te uru-mā-raki o Te Waipounamu a Ahitereiria. / Australia is north-west of the South Island.

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mā

1. (particle) and others, and company, and the rest - a word used after names of people, wai and mea, and terms of address, to indicate the inclusion of others whom it is not necessary to specify. With terms of address it merely indicates the plural. It is incorrect to use it after nouns, except when they are being used as a term of address.

(Te Kākano Textbook (Ed. 2): 2, 13;)

Tēnā koutou, e Mere mā. / Hullo, Mary and others.

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mā

1. (particle) and - when connecting numbers.

(Te Kākano Textbook (Ed. 2): 16, 32;)

Tekau mā rua te tokomaha o tō mātau whānau. / There are 12 in our family.

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kāore mā

1. not for (someone to do) - there are numerous variations possible with this, e.g. kāore (e tika ana) mā ..., kāore i/e (waiho) mā ....

He mahi tērā mā te pakeke, kāore (e tika ana) mā te tamariki (HJ 2012:159). / That task is for adults, it's not (appropriate) for children.
Ko te tīkaro ake i te pūngitangita ka mau atu ki te waewae, he mahi mā te kanohi hōmiromiro, kāore mā te pura (HJ 2012:159). / Extracting thistles from the foot is a task for a sharp-eyed person, not for someone of poor eyesight.

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maita mā

1. (noun) (lawn bowls) jack.

mā reira

1. (particle) therefore (future), via that place, that's how (of the future).

Mā reira e tau ai ngā whakaaro o tō whaiāipo. / That's how your boyfriend's concerns will be put at rest.

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mā hea

1. by what means? by what way? via where?.

(Te Kākano Textbook (Ed. 2): 47-48; Te Pihinga Textbook (Ed. 2): 66;)

Mā hea koe haere ai? / How are you going?/Which way are you going to go?

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pepe mā

1. (noun) white butterfly,cabbage white, Pieris rapae - introduced from Europe and North America about 1930 and found throughout the country. Caterpillars eat cabbage, turnip, cauliflower and nasturtium.

kaua mā

1. it's not for - there are numerous variations possible with this, e.g. kaua (e tukua) mā ..., kaua e (waiho) mā .... This is used particularly for commands and instructions. Kauaka may replace kaua.

Ā taihoa, mā te katoa o te whānau e whakatau, kaua mā Tītaha anake (HKK 1999:107). / Hang on a minute, it's for the whole family to decide, not for Tītaha alone.
Whakahokia mai tā mātou kupu e mea atu nei kia mutu atu tēnei Kōti, kaua e tukua mā te kino e whakamutu, engari, māu, māku e whakamutu i runga i te rangimārietanga (TW 22/6/1878:316). / Let's go back on our suggestion that this Court should end, don't let ill will put an end to it, but it is for you and me to conclude it in peace.

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Mā pango mā whero ka oti te mahi

1. The populice along with leadership will get the job done.

By red and by black it will be accomplised /

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tekau mā iwa

1. (numeral) be nineteen, nineteenth (following te).

(Te Kākano Textbook (Ed. 2): 16;)

Synonyms: ngahuru mā iwa

ngahuru mā tahi

1. (numeral) be eleven, eleventh (when following te).

(Te Māhuri Study Guide (Ed. 1): 12;)

pūwhero-mā

1. (modifier) be pink, pink and white.

Nā rātau hoki ngā tūruhi e taetae atu ana ki ngā tūāpapa pūwhero-mā i whakangahau (TTR 1990:283). / They also entertained the tourists that they transported to the pink and white terraces.

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Synonyms: pūwhero, kuratea, mākurakura, māwhero, pūwherowhero

Atutahi mā Rehua

1. (personal noun) Canopus with Antares - Canopus is the second brightest star in the sky, Antares is the brightest star in the constellation Scorpius and the one associated with summer. Despite this, Atutahi mā Rehua often refers just to Canopus. Also as Autahi mā Rehua.

Atutahi mā Rehua: He whetū ēnei. He whetū kē a Atutahi (ko Autahi ki ētahi, ā ko ētahi ingoa ōna ko Kauanga, ko Paepaepoto); he whetū kē a Rehua. Ahakoa kei te karapiti i konei tōna aronga ko Atutahi anake. He reo tahito te ‘mā’, kei te mau i ērā wāhi o te reo Māori, ‘tekau mā tahi’, ‘tekau mā rua’, etc.; kua taka hei ‘me’ i muri nei (M 2004:16). / Canopus with Antares: Atutahi or Canopus, also called Autahi, and whose other names were Kauanga, Paepaepoto. It was one star, and Rehua or Antares another star. Despite this it signified only Canopus. 'Mā' is an archaic form, still retained in the numerals, as ‘tekau mā tahi’, ‘tekau mā rua’, etc. but the modern equivalent is ‘me’.

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