2. (noun) cat's cradle, string game - a game in which a loop of string is placed around and between the fingers and complex patterns are formed.
Ka rere a Whānui ka tīmata te hauhake i ngā kai; te potonga o ngā kai ka mahia ngā mahi a Ruhanui, koia ēnei: ko te tūperepere, ko te tōreherehe, ko te kai whakatāpaepae, ko te kokomo, ko te tūmahana, ko te kaihaukai, ko te haka, ko te poi, ko te whakahoro taratahi, ko te tā pōtaka, ko te pōtēteke, ko te taupiripiri, ko te mū tōrere, a te whai, a te pānokonoko, o te tararī, a te kīkīporo, a te pākuru, a te tārere, a te kūī, a te kūrapakara, a te rere moari, me ērā atu mea katoa (TWMNT 11/9/1872:110). / When Vega rose the harvesting of the food began; and when that was done the activities of Ruhanui were carried out, which were these: the ceremony and feast to celebrate the storing of the kūmara crop, tobogganing, the displaying of food, the exchanging of gifts between hosts and visitors, feasting and presenting food, performing haka and poi, flying kites, whipping spinning tops, doing somersaults, racing arm in arm, playing draughts, performing string games, playing the pānokonoko string game, playing the jewsharp, beating the time to songs with pieces of wood held against the cheek, playing the mouth resonator, swinging, calling kūī, playing kūrapakara, swinging on the moari, and all those other games.
2. (noun) short-tail stingray, Dasyatis brevicaudata - disc quadrangular, flattened and slightly wider than long. Tail stout at the base, broad and flattened, narrowing rapidly to the sting. Plain greyish to light brown, whitish to cream ventrally. Bottom-dwelling marine ray widespread in coastal waters of the Southern Hemisphere at depths of 5-300 m. Adults common inshore during summer and autumn.
2. (noun) having, possessing.
Kāhore he tangata hei rite mōu; te mōhio, te whaiwhakaaro. / There is nobody that has the knowledge and the understanding that you do.
2. (verb) to perform karakia.
E Ngātoro, haere mai ki runga ki tōku waka ki te whai ake i te kawa o te waka nei (NM 1928:60). / Ngātoro, come onto my canoe to perform the kawa ceremony on this vessel.
3. (noun) pursuit.
Kāti, e tātou mā, kia ora anō tātou katoa i roto i tā tātou whai, i tā tātou whakamomori kia mau, kia ora tonu tō tātou reo haere ake nei, haere ake nei (HM 1997:8). / Well, everybody, greetings to everybody involved in our pursuit and our desperate desire to retain and save our language for the future.
4. (noun) curative spell - spell to cure wounds, injuries and infections.
Ka titiro mākutu a Mohi ki a te Kāwana i konei, karakiatia ana e ia te whai mō te pokenga i te toto (MM.TKM 3-4/1855:4). / Mohi then stared at the Governor, reciting the curative spell for infected blood.
whai whakaaro
1. (verb) (-tia) to be thoughtful, considerate, attentive, mindful.
I 1853 ka inoi ki a Kāwana Hōri Kerei kia whai whakaaro te kāwana kia puritia te whenua i Ōrākei mō Ngāti Whātua (TTR 1990:210-211). / In 1853 he asked Governor George Grey to help ensure Ngāti Whātua retained ownership of Ōrākei.
See also whaiwhakaaro
2. (verb) (-tia) to deliberate, consider.
Mō te tono kia āwhinatia atu tēnei take e te Tari, i whakaatu te tiamana, kāore he moni takoto nou a te Tari ināianei, engari hei te wā e whiwhi moni ai te Tari, tērā e whai whakaarotia tēnei take (TTT 1/8/1927:635). / Concerning the request that this cause be helped by the Department, the chairperson indicated that the Department had no money available at present, but when the Department does obtain funds this matter will be considered.
3. (modifier) thoughtful, considerate.
He tangata hūmārika a Rōpiha, ā, nā reira ia i kore ai i whakawhiwhia ki ētahi tūranga o runga ake ahakoa anō te pai o āna tohu me te mōhio anō o ōna hoamahi, he tangata pukumahi, tangata whai whakaaro ia (TTR 2000:185). / Because Rōpiha was an amiable person he was overlooked for promotion, although he was well graded and recognised as hard-working and thoughtful.
See also whaiwhakaaro
4. (noun) forethought, consideration.
Anei anō tētahi āhuatanga hei komekome māku. Ko te roa ai o te wā e whakapaua ana ki ngā kupu Pākehā, kia tino tika ai te takoto mai o ērā, engari ka mahue te whai whakaaro ki te wāhi ki te reo Māori i roto i te whiriwhiringa tārai kupu (HM 2/1995:9). / Here is another aspect for me to grumble about. It's the length of time spent on English wording to ensure that it is correct grammatically, but consideration for the Māori language in word selection is disregarded.
See also whaiwhakaaro
2. (verb) (-tia) to have a right, have an interest.
Ki te whakaaro o te Komiti kāhore i whakaaturia mai he tino take kia whai tikangatia ai te Ture Whakatikatika i te Ture Ārai i ngā Tuku hē i ngā Whenua Māori, 1873 (TWMNT 17/4/1877:107). / This Committee is of opinion that no sufficient cause has been shown for interfering with the provisions of The Native Lands Frauds Prevention Act Amendment Act, 1873.
3. (modifier) important, meaningful, pivotal.
Nā Paurini Te Whatarau, he rangatira ahurei nō Ngāti Pūkenga, te mahi whai tikanga i riro mai ai he wāhi noho mō tōna iwi i Maketū (TTR 1994:143). / Paurini Te Whatarau, a prominent Ngāti Pukenga chief, played a pivotal role in securing living space for his people at Maketū.
4. (noun) importance, value.
Ka kite a Tirarau i te whai tikanga o te mahi tahi me te kāwanatanga (TTR 1994:166). / Tirarau saw the importance of co-operating with the government.
tangata whai
1. (noun) settler - tāngata whai (plural).
Kotahi tonu te whakaaro o te tangata whai o Taranaki, arā, e whakatutuki ana a Kātātore mā i te kaupapa here a te hunga e kīia nei ko te rōpū pupuri whenua (TTR 1990:214). / The Taranaki settler only had one conclusion, that was that Kātātore and his supports were carrying out the policy of the group called the land league.
Ko ngā raruraru nunui i ūwhia ki runga i te Māori i muri mai i te hainatanga o te Tiriti o Waitangi i te tau 1840, ko te minamina o ngā tāngata whai kua kaha haere nei te taetae mai kia rahi ake te whenua e riro i a rātou, me te kaha whakaparure haere i te tikanga noho a te Māori ina tīmata ana te whakapāpā haere ki te Pākehā (TTR 1994:131). / The major problems imposed on Māori after the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840 were the desire of the growing settler population for more land, and increasing social disorganisation when coming into contact with Pākehā.
whai kupu
1. (verb) to make a speech, make a statement.
E kore au e whai kupu atu ki a koe mō tētahi o ō kupu i pā mai ki taku tinana ko te take he āhua kino, ka hahani, ka amuamu te ritenga o tērā kupu (TPH 15/1/1900:1). / I will not make a response to you about one of your statements about myself because the implication of that assertion is somewhat rude, disparaging and begrudging.
See also whaikupu, whaikōrero, whaikī
2. (noun) formal speech.
I te mutunga o tēnei whai kupu āna ka tukua ōna turi ki raro, ka inoi tahi ia me rātou katoa (PT Nga Mahi a nga Apotoro 20:36). / And when he had thus spoken, he kneeled down, and prayed with them all.
See also whaikupu, whaikōrero, whaikī
whai pānga
1. (verb) to have a share, have a place, have an interest.
Ka kōrero te pirihimana e iwa ngā tāngata e whai pānga ana ki tētahi pito whenua i Hakanui (TPH 30/5/1912:5). / The policeman said that nine people had interests in a plot of land at Hakanui.
See also whaipānga
whai painga
1. (verb) to nourish, value, benefit.
I whai painga ngā mahi a Tūtaki ki te whakahauhau i ngā mema Māori kia noho tonu ki te Kotahitanga o ngā Tāngata Mahi o Niu Tīreni (TTR 1996:263). / Tūtaki was instrumental in urging the Māori members to remain in the New Zealand Workers' Union.
See also whaipainga
Synonyms: whaipainga, whakawairākau, whāngai
2. (modifier) useful, valuable, beneficial.
Tīmata ake ana tana mahi tiaki whare mā te whānau o David Warren, he tangata whakatipu momo hipi, miraka kau nei tāna mahi; nāna nei i hoatu he kau e rua nei, ngā kākahu whai painga tonu hoki o āna tamariki kua pakupaku rawa nei mō rātou (TTR 2000:28). / She began housekeeping for the family of David Warren, a sheep breeder and dairy farmer, who gave her two cows and useful clothing that his children had outgrown.
See also whaipainga
3. (noun) benefit, value, goodness, utility.
Ki taku titiro, ka nui te whai painga i puta mai (TTT 1/2/1926:348). / I have observed that many benefits have accrued.
See also whaipainga
2. (stative) be useful, beneficial, worthwhile.
whai repo
1. (noun) eagle ray, Myliobatis tenuicaudatus - a ray with greenish-grey upper surface and blue markings, pale yellow-white below. Tail is thin with small spines and a small dorsal fin at the base. Head thick and protruding, eyes lateral. Most abundant from Cook Strait north over soft sediments and rocky reefs from 0-422 m.
Synonyms: whai keo
2. (noun) short-tail stingray, Dasyatis brevicaudata - disc quadrangular, flattened and slightly wider than long. Tail stout at the base, broad and flattened, narrowing rapidly to the sting. Plain greyish to light brown, whitish to cream ventrally. Bottom-dwelling marine ray widespread in coastal waters of the Southern Hemisphere at depths of 5-300 m. Adults common inshore during summer and autumn.
3. (noun) log-tail stingray, Dasyatis thetidis - one of the largest species of marine stingrays and may reach 210 kg. Uniformly greyish to black dorsally, white to creamish ventrally, head slightly elevated and eyes are small. Tail stout at the base, tapering gradually. Widespread in subtropical and temperate waters off coasts. In Aotearoa/New Zealand occurs mainly north of east Cape.
See also whai
whai wāhi
1. (verb) to participate, take part, have a part - often followed by atu.
Āpiti atu ki tēnei e kore rawa e whai wāhi ki te kura i a ia anō, te tukunga iho ka heke haere tōna pai mō te mahi minita (TKO 30/4/1920:11). / Added to this is that he will never be able to educate himself, with the result that his value as a clergyman will diminish.
Synonyms: pā
whai kī
1. (verb) to make a speech.
Ko te whakauru ki taua karapu me ngau te tangata ki te paepae hamuti, kātahi anō ka mana ki te whai kī i roto i taua whakaminenga (TTT 1/2/1927:533). / For the membership of that club a person must undertake an initiation ritual and only then is he able to have speaking rights in that assembly.
See also whaikī
whai take
1. (verb) to have a purpose, of use, useful.
Ahakoa a Te Hāpuku kāore i whakaae ki te kaupapa Karaitiana, i tukuna e ia tana iwi, me ana tamariki tonu, kia whakauru atu. Inā hoki kua kite kē ia e whai take tonu ana ngā mihingare o te Hāhi Mihingare me te Hāhi Katorika (TTR 1990:178). / Although Te Hāpuku did not agree with Christianity, he allowed his people and his own children to join because he had seen that the missionaries of the Anglican and Catholic churches were useful.
See also whaitake
whai keo
1. (noun) eagle ray, Myliobatis tenuicaudatus - a ray with greenish-grey upper surface and blue markings, pale yellow-white below. Tail is thin with small spines and a small dorsal fin at the base. Head thick and protruding, eyes lateral. Most abundant from Cook Strait north over soft sediments and rocky reefs from 0-422 m.
