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Idioms

Phrases

Proverbs

Loan words

Historical loan words

au

1. (noun) smoke.

Ko ngā tuākana e whakapuru wahie ana ki ngā taha o te whare, ā, ka tahuna ki te ahi. Ka kā tēnei wāhi, me tēnei wāhi, ka puta ki te roro, ka uhia te whare e te au o te ahi; ka kapia hoki te mataaho o te whare e te ahi (TWK 4:28). / The older brothers piled firwood against the side of the house and the fire was lit. The fire burnt at each part and when it reached the verandah the house was covered by the smoke of the fire; and the window of the house was enveloped by the fire.

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See also auahi


2. (noun) cloud, mist, fog.

Ātaahua ana te tāiri mai o te au i runga ake i te roto i te ata nei (PK 2008:43). / The mist suspended above the lake is so beautiful this morning.

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Synonyms: haumaringi, pūkohu, pūnenehu, kōnenehu, tārehu, waikohu, tūkōrehu, pūrehu, haumāringiringi, kōnehunehu, kākahi, pūnehunehu, haumaringi, pūkohu, pūnenehu, tākohu, pūnehu, tuarehu, tūkōrehu, pūrehu, kohu, rehu, kākahi, pūnehunehu


3. (noun) current.

Poto tonu rātou te mau ki ngā hoe, ā, i mua i te rironga anō o te waka i te au o te moana, ka poua ngā hoe, ka kōkiri atu whakawaho a 'Tainui' ki te moana nui (NIT 1995:37). / They all took a paddle and, before they could be carried off again by the current of the sea, they plunged in the paddles and 'Tainui' short out to open sea.

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4. (noun) whirlpool, rapid.

Rere pāhukahuka ana te wai i te au o te awa (PK 2008:43). / The water flows with froth in the rapids of the river.

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Synonyms: hukehuke, horohoro, tāheke


5. (noun) wake (of a canoe, etc.).

E kaikainga ana te tahatika e te au nui o ngā waka e whakawhiti ana i Te Moana-o-Raukawa (PK 2008:43). / The shoreline is being eaten away by the big wake of the vessels crossing Cook Strait.

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6. (noun) sea, ocean.

Nā, kātahi te tangata nei ka kahu i ana kahu whakapaipai, ka puta ki waho o te whare, ko te māhunga i tiaina ki te huia, ki te kōtuku. Nā, ka puta te whakataukī, 'me he toroa e tau ana i runga i te au' (TWK 4:13) / Then this man put on his beautiful cloaks, came out of the house, and his head was adorned with huia and kōtuku feathers. Now the whakataukī was expressed, 'like an albatross landing on the sea'.

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Synonyms: moana, mātai, Tahuaroa, moana tuauriuri, moana waiwai


7. (noun) gall-bladder, gall.

Kātahi ka whakamoetia au. I werohia he ngira ki taku ringaringa katau. E rima hāora pea ina au e moe ana, e tapahia ana, ka tangohia ngā kōhatu e rima i roto i taku au (HP 1991:268). / Then I was sedated. A needle was inserted into my right arm. I was asleep for approximately five hours when I was operated on and five stones in my gall-bladder were removed.

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8. (noun) string, cord.

Tuia ki runga ki te au kotahi (W 1971:20). / Tie it on top with a single string.

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au

1. (pronoun) I, me - like all pronouns and personals, takes a when following ki, i, kei and hei but does not take a when used as the subject of the sentence, except in some dialects. Never occurs after he, te and ngā and is not used after the prepositions a, o, , , , or with and .

(Te Kākano Textbook (Ed. 2): 13;)

Kua pakaru te pereti i a au. / I have broken the plate.

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Synonyms: ahau, awau, wau


2. (pronoun) we, us - sometimes used as a collective pronoun with this meaning by leaders to refer to their people, especially in classical Māori.

Ko te mea i mahue ai a Muri-whenua i a au, i a Ngāti Whātua, he kōhuru nā Ngāti Kahu-mate-a-ika (Wh4 2004:103) / The reason that we, Ngāti Whātua, left Muri-whenua was a treacherous deed perpetrated by Ngāti Kahu-mate-a-ika.

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āu

1. (particle) (determiner) your (one person when referring to more than one thing) - a possessive determiner.

(Te Kākano Textbook (Ed. 2): 52-56;)

Kei a Mīria āu pukapuka. / Mīria has your books.

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See also āhau, wāu


2. (particle) (determiner) you have (pertaining to one person and more than one thing).

(Te Kākano Textbook (Ed. 2): 108-110;)

He tuangi āku, he pipi āu. / I have cockles, you have pipi.

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3. Used in these ways listed above when the possessor has control of the relationship or is dominant, active or superior to what is possessed.

(Te Kākano Textbook (Ed. 2): 54-56, 108-110, 140-141;)

au

1. (verb) to bark (of a dog), howl.

Ka tae atu, ka tangi, me te au kurī te rite (NM 1928:170). / When he arrived he wept, and it was like the howl of a dog.

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au

1. (stative) be sound (of sleep), firm.

E kore e au te moe ki te kumea mai kia tini ngā whakaaro (TPH 10/1/1906:2). / Sleep will never be sound if many thoughts are in one's mind.

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au miha

1. (noun) heavy seas, rough sea.

E tino mōhio ana tātou katoa e ikapahi nei e ū ai te waka e hoea nei i tēnei wā i te au miha o te kūare, o te tino kore mōhio nei, ki uta, me mātua whakangungu ngā kaiwhakaako (HM 3/1995:5). / All of us assembled here well know that in order for the canoe we are paddling at this time in the heavy seas of ignorance and great lack of understanding, to reach the shore we must train the teachers.

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Synonyms: puaheihei, au tuke

au hāro

1. (noun) calm sea, smooth sea.

Kua mawhiti anō te haere ki roto o Tākitimu waka, ki reira rumaki ai i te wairua ki tō tātou reo Māori, ki reira anō hoki rumaki ai i te tinana ki te au hāro o Waimārama (HM 3/1995:2). / We have jumped again into the Tākitimu canoe territory, there to immerse the soul in our Māori language and to immerse our bodies in the calm sea of Waimārama.

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au mārō

1. (noun) bravery in battle.

He rongonui te au mārō o Te Moananui-a-Kiwa Ngārimu i Te Pakanga Tuarua o Te Ao. / Te Moananui-a-Kiwa Ngārimu's bravery in the Second World War is well-known.

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au tuke

1. (noun) heavy seas, rough sea.

I ngā rā tōmua o Oketopa 1844, ka rere whaka-te-raki ia i roto i tētahi kahupapa waka itiiti. Nō tō rātou taenga ki te kūrae o Paparoa i te 10 o Oketopa, ka ākina e te au tuke, ka tahia atu a Tūhawaiki ki te moana (TTR 1990:370). / Early in October 1844 he sailed north in a flotilla of small boats. When they reached Paparoa Point on 10 October, they were buffeted by heavy seas and Tūhawaiki was swept overboard.

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Synonyms: puaheihei, au miha

mangō au pounamu

1. (noun) blue shark, Prionace glauca -  light-bodied with long pectoral fins. Body slender, tapering from the snout. The top of the body is deep blue, lighter on the sides, and the underside is white. The male blue shark commonly grows to 1.82 to 2.82 m at maturity, whereas the larger females commonly grow to 2.2 to 3.3 m. They feed primarily on small fish and squid, although they can take larger prey. Common throughout Aotearoa/New Zealand.

ki a au (nei) ...

1. I think, in my opinion - a phrase used by a speaker to introduce an idea or opinion.

Ki a au nei kāore a Parekura e tae mai ki tā tātou hui. / I don't think Parekura will make it to our meeting.

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See also ki ōku (nei) whakaaro ...

au o te moana

1. (noun) open sea, open waters.

Nō muri noa nei ka mōhio ahau kaua e huri tō tuarā ki te au o te moana. I pērā ahau, i te huri taku tuarā ki te au o te moana (TWK 48:16). / Some time later I learnt not to turn my back to the open sea. I did that, I turned my back to the open sea.

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Synonyms: moana tuauriuri, moana waiwai, waho, aumoana, tahora

Kura Te Au, Te

1. (location) Tory Channel - the channel that separates Arapaoa island from the mainland in the Marlborough Sounds.

kua roa kē [au] e ... ana

1. for a long time [I] have been ... - a phrase used to say something has been going on for a long time.

Kua roa ke au e mokemoke ana. / I have been lonely for a long time.

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Ka kite anō au i a koe.

1. I'll see you again. - only used when speaking to one person. For two people use kōrua instead of koe, and for three or more people use koutou instead of koe. Often shortened, incorrectly, to Ka kite anō or Ka kite.

kua eke te waka ki te au moana

1. the canoe has reached the open sea, take the bull by the horns.

kōura

1. (loan) (noun) gold (Au).

E rua tonu ngā hāora e mahi ana aua koroke, riro rawa ana i a rāua ngā kōura rite ki te £750 pāuna moni! (TWM 14/5/1864:3). / In just two hours work those two fellows had obtained gold equivalent to £750!

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aupounamu

1. (noun) bow point of a war canoe.


2. (noun) blue shark, Prionace glauca - sometimes as mangō aupounamu or mangō au pounamu. Light-bodied with long pectoral fins. Body slender, tapering from the snout. The top of the body is deep blue, lighter on the sides, and the underside is white. The male blue shark commonly grows to 1.82 to 2.82 m at maturity, whereas the larger females commonly grow to 2.2 to 3.3 m. They feed primarily on small fish and squid, although they can take larger prey. Common throughout Aotearoa/New Zealand.

Kia akona hoki ki a koe te karakia taki mai i ngā mokopuna a Rongo-huakai, te mangō aupounamu, te mangō huri taniwha, te mangō makomako, te mangō waha tara. He mangō kai tangata katoa ēnei (JPS 1922:23). / You should be taught the karakia that attract the offspring of Rongo-huakai, the blue shark, the huritaniwha shark, the mako shark and the dogfish. These are all man eating sharks.

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Synonyms: matawhā, mangō au pounamu, mangō pounamu, taha pounamu, ngengero

nei

1. (particle) here - used after nouns, location words, pronouns and personal names to indicate position or connection with the speaker or the principal character in a narrative. Like the other two locative particles, and , it follows manner particles (i.e. kau, kē, noa, rawa and tonu) and directional particles (i.e. mai, atu, iho and ake) in the phrase if they are present.

(Te Kākano Textbook (Ed. 2): 44;)

Haria atu te toki nei ki kō! / Take this axe over there, please!

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See also neki


2. (particle) Also used to imply nearness to the present time, or a time or event just referred to.

Ka whakawhiti rāua ki Te Ika-a-Māui i te rā nei. / They cross to the North Island today.
I karangahia tēnei ko Te Heke Hauhaua, ā, ko Te Kāeaea tonu tētahi o ngā rangatira. Koia nei pea te wā i hoki ai a ia ki Te Wairarapa (TTR 1990:202). / This was called Te Heke Hauhaua and Te Kaeaea was one of the leaders. This was probably the time that he returned to Wairarapa.

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3. (particle) who, that, which - when used in dependent clauses to refer to something or someone just mentioned.

(Te Kākano Textbook (Ed. 2): 120;)

Ko Hōri te tangata e tū atu nei. / The man who is standing here is George.

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4. (particle) Used following au, māua, mātou when giving opinions, etc.

(Te Kākano Textbook (Ed. 2): 85-86;)

Ki a au nei, kāore a Nāhinara e rata ana ki te iwi Māori. / In my opinion, the National Party isn't kindly disposed towards the Māori people.

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5. (particle) Used following possessive determiners to imply that the thing possessed is nearby, or for emphasis.

(Te Kākano Textbook (Ed. 2): 85-86;)

Ki ōku nei whakaaro, kāore he take o tēnei Kāwanatanga. / In my opinion this Government is useless.

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6. (particle) Also used as a suffix in words such as tēnei, ēnei, pēnei, anei and koinei.

See also koinei, konei, ēnei, pēnei, tēnei


7. (particle) Used before koa and to introduce explanatory sentences.

Ka haere mātou ko aua tupua ki roto ki te awa o Whitianga, nei koa, he tokotoko i te ringaringa o ētahi o rātou mau haere ai (TAH 52:45). / Then we and those foreigners went up the Whitianga River. Now some of them carried rods in their hands

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See also nei koa, nei rā


8. (particle) here - often starts a sentence.

Nei ka noho, ka noho, ka mahuki ake a whakaaro tērā pea ka whai hua tonu te wero atu ki te pātai, "He aha ia tēnei mea, te mātauranga Māori?" (HM 1/1998:2) / Here I sit and sit, and thoughts spring to mind that perhaps there is value in challenging with the question, "Just what is this thing Māori knowledge?"

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9. (particle) on and on - used to indicate a long duration when the phrase with nei is repeated.

Ka mea atu tērā, "Waiho rā kia toru hoki ngā pō e rere ai, ā, ka kore e kitea te whenua, ka hoki ai tātou." Ka whakaae mai ngā hoa. I rere nei, rere nei. Kua tata ki te whenua (MM.TKM 1/11/1855:9). / That one said, "Let us wait and sail for three more nights and if we not don't find land we will return." The companions agreed. So they sailed on and on. Then they were near land.

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Synonyms: haere ake nei, mau ake nei, āke, ake, ake

tūmahi wheako

1. (noun) experience verb - a verb that names a mental state, attitude, perception or experience. Although experience verbs function like transitive verbs (tūmahi whiti) in some ways, they differ in others. Common experience verbs include: kite, rongo, mārama, pīrangi, mōhio, hiahia, mahara, tūmanako. Generally with experience verbs (except kite) their objects are marked with ki, e.g. Kei te mōhio au ki tō pāpā. (I know your father.) Experience verbs function like adjectives when used in commands in that they are preceded by kia, not e or nothing, e.g. Kia maumahara! (Remember!).

Ko te tūmahi wheako he kupumahi whakaatu i te wheako, i te waiaro. / An experience verb is a verb indicating an experience or attitude.

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