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Proverbs

Loan words

Historical loan words

Filters

Idioms

Phrases

Proverbs

Loan words

Historical loan words

whakangākau

1. (verb) (-tia) to show affection for, cherish, care for, hold dear, fret for, take to heart, long for, desire.

I whakangākau pono tonu a Iriaka ki te whakatinana i ngā painga o ana kaipōti katoa (TTR 2000:176). / Iriaka conscientiously attempted to represent the interests of all her constituents.

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Synonyms: kuika, kūwata, tōmina, kare, kuatau, pūkōnohinohi, manako, ōkaka, hihiri, kaimomotu, āmene, korou, popono, pūkōnohinohi, warawara, wawata, wara, ohia, mānakonako, tāmina, kūata


2. (noun) affection, regard.

Me te rongo atu anō hoki i ō kōrua mamae me tō kōrua whakangākau ki ō kōrua tūpuna, ki a Te Whiti rāua ko Tohu (HM 2/1995:1). / And we felt your pain and affection for your ancestors, Te Whiti and Tohu.

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Synonyms: kōtua, whakarangatira

kumanu

1. (verb) (-ngia,-tia) to tend carefully, foster, attend to, care for, cherish.

He poti nā Uekahia, mā Rongotakutama e kumanu (TWMNT 7/11/1876:289). / A corner belonging to Uekahia, and Rongotakutama will carefully cherish it. (A saying referring to a small quantity of kūmara in the corner of a kete.)

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2. (modifier) tended carefully, fostered, attended to, cared for, cherished, treasured.

Nō te hokinga atu o Mānihera Tūmātahi ki te kāinga hararei ai i te tau 1907, ka mau ia i te kaitiaki o te rōpū kumanu, he hī ika mai nōna i te tuaone o te whenua o ōna mātua (TTR 1996:5). / Returning home for vacation in 1907, Mānihera Tūmātahi was apprehended by an acclimatisation society ranger for fishing from the foreshore of his parents' land.

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mohimohi

1. (verb) to tend, nurse, care for, take care of.

Ki ngā tangata o Taitoko, ko 'Granny Retter' tā rātou karanga i a ia, te wahine nāna i mohimohi ngā tīpuna whāea, ngā tamariki hoki o taua tāone, ā, ko ia anō hoki te tauhere atu ki ngā rā o nehe o te ao Māori, Pākehā anō hoki (TTR 1996:163). / To the people of Levin, their name for her was 'Granny Retter', the woman who had cared for their first generation of mothers and babies, and who was a link with the past of the Māori and Pākehā worlds.

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Synonyms: nāhi, tapuhi, morimori, tiaki, nēhi, nānā, whakatapuhi, hiki


2. (verb) to be smooth, sleek, silky.

Kia kori te manu, ā, kia mohimohi rānei ngā huruhuru, he tohu kino (W 1971:205). / Should the bird wriggle about or the feathers be sleek, that was a bad sign.

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tautiaki

1. (verb) (-na,-tia) to tend, guard, take care of.

I hihiri tana akiaki i tōna iwi, i a Waikato ki te whakauru atu ki te taua tautiaki i te toi whenua (TTR 1996:82). / He energetically urged his Waikato people to join the Home Guard.

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2. (modifier) cared for, held in trust.

I whānako te pūtea moni tautiaki a Maata (TTR 1996:79). / The money held in trust for Maata was embezzled.

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3. (noun) guard.

I te haringa atu o Kereopa ki Ahuriri, ko Nihoniho tētahi o ngā tautiaki (TTR 1990:88). / When Kereopa was taken to Napier Nihoniho was one of the guards.

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manaaki

1. (verb) (-tia) to support, take care of, give hospitality to, protect, look out for - show respect, generosity and care for others.

E tā, taku kupu ki a koe, kia manaaki i te tangata rahi, i te tangata iti...E puta te ope ware ki tō kāinga, hoatu tō kai rauhī māna, mā konā koe ka rangona e ngā nohoanga tāngata e haere ai ia. Hāunga te rangatira, ko tōna mana rangatira māna e hoatu he kai māna, nōna hoki ēnā taonga. E kore ia e waiho hei kōrero māna te kai, te manaaki a te tangata. E kite koe i te nohoanga i ngā ware haere hei hoa kai tahi mō rātau. Kaua hei whakaititia te tangata i runga i te tūnga kai, engari whakanuia ia e koe (TTT 1/9/1923:1). / My friend, let me say this to you, care for all people both great and small...When a visiting commoner arrives at your home, give him your best food and as a result you will be known by people wherever you go. This is apart from the chief, his chiefly mana enables him to provide food for himself because he has those resources. He will not talk about food and hospitality. If you see a place where commoners are sitting go and eat with them. Do not belittle a person based on the food presented, but honour him or her.
Manaakitia mai ā tātou kura māhita, ngā kaiārahi i ā tātou tamariki, i ngā mokopuna me te iwi (TTT 1/10/1921:10). / Look after our teachers, the counsellors of our children, grandchildren and the people.

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Synonyms: taumaru, whakahaumaru, whakaruru, , tiaki, whakamarumaru, whakaruruhau, rauhī, parahau, araarai, whakahau, whakangungu, whakamaru, pare


2. (noun) support, hospitality, caring for.

Mā te manaaki i te tangata e tū ai te mana, e wehi ai te tangata ki a koe (WW 1915:256). / By providing hospitality to people is mana acquired whereby people respect you.
Kei te tangi au mō tā koutou manaaki nui rawa i a māua ko tōku hoa wahine (TTT 1/5/1922:1). / I am expressing my appreciation for your wonderful hospitality to my wife and me.

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See also manaakitanga

tauwhiro

1. (verb) (-tia) to tend, care for.

E tama mā e, tauwhirotia mai te waka o te makau (JPS 1921:100). / Oh young men, take care of the loved one's canoe.

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2. (noun) social worker.

Whakaae atu ana a Black ki te tūranga hai kaiwhakataka mō ngā tauwhiro hapori o te kamupene (TTR 2000:24). / Black accepted the position of director of community services for the company.

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opeope

1. (verb) (-a,-ngia) to care for.

I te tau 1910 ka pāngia a Rāhera e te māuiui, ka riro nā āna tamāhine i opeope (TTR 1994:143). / In 1910 when Rāhera became ill she was cared for by her daughters.

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2. (verb) (-a,-ngia) to float.

Ka opeope anō te rere mai a te ao (M 2004:184). / The clouds are floating by.

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3. (verb) (-a,-ngia) to clear, remove.

E kore e hohoro te opeope o te otaota (KO 22/8/1887:11). / The weeds will not be cleared quickly. (A whakataukī suggesting that a difficult task is not completed quickly.)

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Synonyms: maiki, tango, tauwehe, mākerekere, whakahorohoro, unuunu, hīkaro, huaranga, hura, kāhaki, hiki


4. (verb) (-a) to wipe, rinse, sponge, mop up.

Opeopea ngā kākahu ki te wai mā (Ng 1993:400). / Rinse the clothes with clean water.

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rokiroki

1. (verb) (-tia) to preserve, care for, husband.

E kore rawa e wareware i a Ngāti Tūwharetoa, ka waiho tēnei hei taonga nui ki roto ki te rokiroki a tōna tupuna, a Whakaotirangi (TPH 15/5/1905:8). / Ngāti Tūwharetoa will never forget that this great treasure was left in the care of their ancestor, Whakaotirangi.

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Synonyms: whakapounamu, tohutohu, rarawe, tohu, rongoā, whakauka, whakatote


2. (modifier) perfectly calm.

Synonyms: mōwai rokiroki


3. (noun) preservation, storage.

Arā anō ētahi kātahi anō pea ka āta tuhia ki te reo Māori, pēnei i te rokiroki i ngā kōiwi o te tuatara, ngā mahi whakaipoipo a te kākāpō (HM 3/1998:7). / There are other things that probably have only recently been written about in Māori, such as the preservation of tuatara bones and the courtship activities of kākāpō.

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Synonyms: whakauka, tiakanga


4. (noun) store, collection (of articles), podcast - a collection of digital media files which are distributed over the Internet for playback on portable media players and personal computers.

atawhai

1. (verb) (-ngia,-tia) to show kindness to, care for.

Ka mauria a Ruatara ki tōna kāinga, ā, ka tiakina te tūroro, ā, ka atawhaitia a Ruatara, ora noa (TAH 14:10). / Ruatara was taken to his home where the patient, Ruatara, was looked after and received kind attention until he was well.

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See also atawhaitanga


2. (modifier) kindly, kind, generous, benevolent, hospitable.

He tangata atawhai nui ia ki te tāpae kai ki ngā tāngata katoa me ka tae ki tōna kāinga; e kore rawa hoki e tukua e ia te tira manuhiri kia haere ana, āpānoa kia takoto he hākari māna ki ia tangata ki ia tangata o rātou, te iti me te rahi (TWMNT 21/4/1874:95). / He was a generous person who provided food to everybody if they visited his village; he would never ever let a party of visitors leave until he had laid out a feast for each person, whether of lowly status or of importance.

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Synonyms: aroha, mākoha


3. (noun) kindness, generosity, liberality, kindheartedness, benevolence.

He pai nōna, he aroha, he atawhai, he hūmārie, he pono nō āna kōrero. Kāore ana kōrero whakapatipati, kāore he kōrero rūpahu ((TTT 1/6/1925:239). / His good qualities were of compassion, generosity, affability and speaking the truth. He did not flatter or tell lies.

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Synonyms: tauwhirotanga, ngākau aroha, manaakitanga, ngāwari

tūpore

1. (verb) (-a,-tia) to care for, look after, treat kindly.

Tēnei taku whakamihi, e te iwi, mō tō koutou ngākaunui ki te tūpore, ki te manaaki ki tō koutou taonga nui e puta ai ngā pai mō tātou, mō te iwi, mō te motu katoa (TWMNT 11/9/1872:115). / People, this is my acknowledgement of your enthusiasm in caring for and giving hospitality to your great treasure whereby benefits will accrue for us, for the people and the whole country.

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Synonyms: penapena, tieki, tiaki, taute, pena, poipoi


2. (modifier) caring, kind, helpful, considerate.

He wahine tūpore tana wahine. / His wife is a caring woman.

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Synonyms: kano, kātū, tūmomo, ohaoha, momo, ngāwari

raupī

1. (verb) (-tia) to take care of, cherish tenderly, cover up (for protection).

Kua mate noa atu te kaiwhakaako o Sir Ernest Rutherford, tēnā pea ia kei te titiro iho i te rangi ki tana tamaiti nui whakaharahara i raupī ai (TTT 1/10/1927:702). / Sir Ernest Rutherford's teacher died sime time ago, but he is probably looking down from heaven at his prodigy who he cherished.

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poipoi

1. (verb) (-a) to nurture, care for, look after, toss, swing, wave about.

E hoa mā, kia āta poipoi i tā tātou manu (KO 15/1/1885:4). / Friends, let's carefully nurture our bird.

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Synonyms: whāngai, ahu, tiaki, taute, tieki, penapena, pena, tūpore

whakaute

1. (verb) (-a,-ngia) to respect, show respect, tend, care for, prepare.

Heoi moe tonu iho tōna iwi ki te ākau tahi moe ai, ā, i titiro ata ka maranga te hapū o Tiki ki te whakaute kai mā te tāne hou, mā te wahine hou (JPS 1952:191). / And so his people slept together on the beach and at daybreak Tiki's subtribe got up to prepare food for the bride and groom.

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Synonyms: rahurahu, raweke, takataka, whakareri, whakatau, whakatikatika, whakatakatū, takatū, whakatakataka, whakatika, pātā, whakapai, whakataka, rāwekeweke, tītakataka


2. (noun) respect.

I te wā e kōkiritia ana te pōti nei, tukua ana e Paraire Tōmoana tana waea pānui ki a Rātana e whakahau ana i a ia kia mau tonu tana whakaute i a Ngata, me te unu hoki i a Moko i tōna tūranga whakataetaetanga (TTR 1998:114). / During this election campaign Paraire Tōmoana sent a telegram to Rātana demanding that he show respect to Ngata by withdrawing Moko from the contest.

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Synonyms: kōtua, ngākau whakaute, whakarangatira, whakamiha, maruwehi, kauanuanu, rāhiri

mārie

1. (particle) exactly, absolutely, unequivocally, positively, seriously, essentially, indubitably, for the most part, in the main, deliberately, intentionally, carefully, really, gently, quietly, silently, completely, thoroughly, well and truly, actually, in fact, quietly, peaceably, peacefully, just, merely, very - a word to intensify and add emphasis, often translated by one of the above. Where mārie follows a verb in the passive it will take a passive ending also, usually -tia.

Ko te whenua ka takoto mārie, taihoa ka tupuria e te otaota, e te māheuheu (HJ 2015:101). / Land just left will in time be overgrown by weeds and scrub.

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Synonyms: puku, mārire, mārika, mōhū, kōmuhu, māika, , koia, koia, tinana, koa, katoa, rawa, i neki, noa iho, tōkeke, noa ake, tonu, ia, ia rā, heipū, tata, ake, kau, rānō, tino, inā, ata, rā anō, rā pea, tika, tou, noa, piropiro, ehara ehara, puru, pohapoha, mōrukaruka, tahi, te mutunga (kē) mai (nei) o te ..., rukaruka, hāwerewere, moruka, anō,


2. (verb) to be peaceful, friendly, harmonious, amicable, composed, abate.

I whakahoahoa rātou ki ngā Pākehā i runga i te wawata ka mārie tā rātou noho tahi (TTR 1990:77). / They were friendly towards the Pākehā in the hope that their existence together would be peaceful.

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Synonyms: māwhe, pāngū, tau


3. (verb) fortunately, it was fortunate, luckily.

Ka mea atu ngā tama, "Mārie anō kia haere mai koe!" Ka mea atu te koroheke, "Ki te aha?" Ka mea atu rāua, "Ki te karakia i ā māua māra." (NM 1928:170). / The boys said, "It was fortunate that you have come!" The elderly man said, "What for?" They said, "To recite ritual chants for our gardens."

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Synonyms: marenganui, mokori anō, maringanui, māringanui, mokori


4. (modifier) peaceful, friendly, harmonious, amicable, composed.

He tangata mārie, whakamōwai a Rāni Erihana, i ngākau pono nui ki tana kamupene me tōna whānau (TTR 2000:59). / Rāni Ellison was a quiet, unassuming man who was devoted to his company and his family.

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Synonyms: ngehe, rangimārie, ukiuki, whakamārie, whakamāria, whakamārire, āio, houkura, hūmārie, aumārire, , mārire, hūmārire, whakaaio


5. (noun) peace, calm, tranquility, calmness, peacefulness, serenity, composure, harmony, geniality.

Ko te mātau, ko te mārie nui i kitea ki tōna mata (MM.TKM 1/12/1855:13). / Intelligence and geniality could be seen in his countenance.

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Synonyms: mahurutanga, marino, whakamārietanga, rongo, rangimārie, maungārongo, rongomau, waikanaetanga, whakaaio, āio, houkura, houhanga a rongo, hūmārie, aumārire, māriri, hūmārire

mārire

1. (particle) exactly, absolutely, unequivocally, positively, seriously, essentially, indubitably, for the most part, in the main, deliberately, intentionally, carefully, really, gently, quietly, silently, completely, thoroughly, well and truly, actually, in fact, quietly, peaceably, peacefully, just, merely, very - a word to intensify and add emphasis, often translated by one of the above. Where mārire follows a verb in the passive it will take a passive ending also, usually -tia.

Te reka mārire o te merengi nei. / This melon is really sweet.
Ka kimikimi te Whare ki ngā tikanga e pā ana ki te taha Māori, he tika kia āta whakaarohia mariretia aua tikanga (TWMNT 13/2/1877:27). / The House is considering matters affecting Māori, and it is only right that those matters be considered very carefully.

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Synonyms: puku, mārika, mārie, mōhū, kōmuhu, māika, mōrukaruka, pohapoha, puru, piropiro, hāwerewere, rukaruka, ehara ehara, , anō, moruka, te mutunga (kē) mai (nei) o te ..., tahi, heipū, tōkeke, noa ake, tonu, ia, ia rā, noa iho, tinana, koa, katoa, rawa, i neki, inā, ata, rā anō, rā pea, rānō, tino, kau, noa, tou, tika, tata, ake, , koia, koia


2. (verb) to be peaceful, quiet, fortunate, appeased.

Ko te kōhuru mā te pāwera, mā te hae, mā te ohorere o te ngākau, mā te mamae, tēnā ko te tāhae whenua he mea āta whakaaro mārire, he mea āta rūnanga rawa he kōrero parau, ehara i te hara ohorere nā te ohonga o te ngākau, kāhorehore, engari he hara he mea āta waihanga mārire, i whakamahia e te tangata tōna hinengaro ki te āta whakatakoto, kāhore i mahia i runga i te pāweratanga o te ngākau, engari i te ngākau anō e mārire ana (TP 3/1909:2). / Murder is done because of passion, jealousy, impulsively, or because of pain, but stealing land is something that is carefully planned and thought out with deception, it's not an impetuous sin, no, but it is a sin that is carefully devised and planned, not done on the spur of the moment, but when one's emotions are calm.

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Synonyms: houkura, hūmārie, aumārire, , mārie, hūmārire, whakaaio, rangimārie, ukiuki, whakamārie, whakamāria, whakamārire, ngehe, āio, maho, māhaki, māika, nohopuku, tōngā, wahangū, nguengue, , rata, hūnguengue, hāngū, rarata


3. (noun) softness (of sound).

Ko te kahaoro te tīwerawera, te mārire rānei o te oro (RTP 2015:59). / The volume is the loudness or softness of the sound.

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mārika

1. (particle) exactly, absolutely, unequivocally, positively, seriously, essentially, indubitably, for the most part, in the main, deliberately, intentionally, carefully, really, gently, quietly, silently, completely, thoroughly, well and truly, actually, in fact, quietly, peaceably, peacefully, just, merely, very - used following the word it relates to, to intensify qualities, including bad ones, or to follow āe. It can be used to show approval or disapproval.

Tō tere mārika! / Gee you're quick!
I takoto mārika ia ki te whatitoka o tōna whare (HP 1991:19). / She lay right by the doorway of her house.
Engari te tīma tāne nāku mārika i whiriwhiri (HP 1991:250). / But the men's team I selected myself.
Ehara mārika i a Mahuta ake aua kaupapa o 1894 me 1895 nei (TTR 1996:86). / The plans of 1894 and 1895 were not Mahuta's personal work.

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See also āe mārika

Synonyms: puku, mōhū, mārie, mārire, kōmuhu, māika, tahi, mōrukaruka, pohapoha, puru, piropiro, hāwerewere, ehara ehara, rukaruka, , anō, moruka, te mutunga (kē) mai (nei) o te ..., katoa, rawa, i neki, inā, rā anō, rā pea, rānō, tino, ata, kau, ake, tata, tika, tou, noa, noa iho, tōkeke, noa ake, tonu, ia, ia rā, heipū, , koia, koia, tinana, koa

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