Filters

Idioms

Phrases

Proverbs

Loan words

Historical loan words

Filters

Idioms

Phrases

Proverbs

Loan words

Historical loan words

pā whakawairua

1. (noun) an expression for the mauri of a person or place.


2. (noun) spiritual leader.

Haere rā, e te pā whakawairua W 1971:243). / Farewell, our spiritual leader.

Show example

Hide example

Mauri

1. (personal noun) moon on the twenty-eighth night (or sometimes the twenty-ninth night) of the lunar month.

Mauri: he ata paki, kua pōuri te marama (Te Ara 2011). / Mauri: the morning is fine, the moon has darkened.

Show example

Hide example

mauri

1. (noun) life principle, life force, vital essence, special nature, a material symbol of a life principle, source of emotions - the essential quality and vitality of a being or entity. Also used for a physical object, individual, ecosystem or social group in which this essence is located.

(Te Kōhure Textbook (Ed. 2): 227-228;)

Nā, he mauri tō ngā pakake, he mauri tō ngā tāngata, he mauri tō ngā tuna, he mauri tō ngā manu, he mauri tō ngā ika, nā reira i mate ai ēnei mea katoa i te mākutu; ki te mākututia e te Māori ēnei mea, ka mate, ngaro tonu atu; ahakoa nui ēnei mea, ki te mākututia ka ngaro (BFM 2013:248-249). / Now, whales have a mauri, people have a mauri, eels have a mauri, birds have a mauri, fish have a mauri, therefore everything can be destroyed by mākutu; if the Māori bewitches these things, they will be destroyed and disappear, no matter how big these things are, if a spell is cast upon them they will disappear.
Takoto mai, e koro, kia tangihia koe e ō iwi. Auē! Ka mau te punga here o te waka nei. Ka ngaro koe, te kaihautū, te kākākura o roto i te pōkai, te puhi o Aotearoa, te kura whakahirahira o Te Waipounamu, te mauri o te whenua, te mauri o te tangata, haere! Haere rā! (TP 7/1906:9) / Lie in state, sir, to be wept over by your people. Oh, dear! The anchor of this canoe is taken. You are gone, the fugleman, the leader of the flock, the adored one of the North Island, the important treasure of the South Island, the life force of the land and the people. Depart! Farewell!

Show example

Hide example

See also pā whakawairua

Synonyms: mouri, ira

mauri ngaro

1. (noun) coma.


2. (intransitive verb) coma.


3. (adjective) comatosed.

mauri pōtere

1. (adjective) subconscious.

mauri moe

1. (adjective) unconscious.

mauri ora

1. (adjective) (awake) conscious.

mauri rere

1. (stative) be panic-stricken.

Ka mauri rere te wahine i te pōhēhē ko tāna tamāhine i mate i te aituā. / The woman was panic-stricken because she thought her daughter had died in the accident.

Show example

Hide example

Synonyms: maurirere, hopī, tūmekemeke


2. (modifier) panic-stricken.

Ka rongo te iwi mauri rere rā e pakū tonu ana ngā pū, whetē ana ngā karu tētahi ki tētahi, kāore i mōhio me oma rānei, me aha rānei (PK 2008:444). / When the panic-stricken tribe heard the guns going off continuously, they stared wide-eyed at one another, not knowing whether to run or what to do.

Show example

Hide example

mauri tau

1. (verb) to be deliberate, without panic, relaxed - sometimes as one word, i.e. mauritau.

E nanaiore ana au i te huarahi kia mauri tau ai te ako a ngā ākonga i te reo Māori. / I am striving for the way that the students' learning of the Māori language will be relaxed.

Show example

Hide example


2. (adjective) be deliberate, without panic, relaxed.

He mauri tau te ia o te haka (Te Ara 2011). / The beat of the haka is is deliberate and rhythmic.

Show example

Hide example


3. (modifier) composed, unruffled, serene, relaxed, deliberate.

He tangata mauri tau, kāore e mataku, ka ū tonu ngā whakaaro ki te ārahi i ana tāngata e ora ai te katoa (PK 2008:444). / A composed man who will not be frightened and will concentrate on leading his people whereby they all survive.

Show example

Hide example

Synonyms: mākohakoha, parohe, aumoe, pārore, pāroherohe, māoriori


4. (noun) absence of panic.

Kua rongo au i te mauri tau o te mahi a te tamaiti rā. / I have felt the absence of panic in what that child is doing.

Show example

Hide example

oho mauri

1. (verb) to jump into action, start suddenly, startle, astonish, astound, shock. Sometimes the two words are separated in the sentence, as in the second example below.

Ka oho mauri ngā hōia o Peretānia ka rere, ka taui (TTR 1990:126). / The British soldiers were surprised and retreated.
Ka kite ia i te rere, he nui te tiketike. Ka oho tōna mauri, e kore ia e eke ki runga (JPS 1905:200). / He found a waterfall, which was very high. He was startled, for he thought he would not be able to ascend it.

Show example

Hide example

See also ohomauri

Synonyms: ohomauri, mōketekete, whiti, ohorere, whētuki, whakaanuanu, hiko

mauri moe

1. (verb) to be unconscious.

He mea tarawete tana māhunga i te kēmu whutupōro, koinā ia i mauri moe ai (PK 2008:868). / His head was knocked in the rugby game, and that's why he was unconscious.

Show example

Hide example

tihe mauri ora

1. (noun) sneeze of life, call to claim the right to speak.

tihei mauri ora

1. (noun) sneeze of life, call to claim the right to speak.

whakahā

1. (verb) (-kia,-tia) to breathe, respire, exhale.

Ka whakahā te waha o Hau' ki runga ki ngā tipuaki o ōna tāina, ka hoki mai te waiora (JPS 1914:132). / Hau' breathed on the crowns of the heads of his younger relatives, and the spirit of life returned to them.

Show example

Hide example


2. (modifier) custom of a tohunga breathing into someone to transfer his mauri.

Ka haere mai tana tauira matua, ka kīia atu e te tohunga nei kia whakaritea te tikanga whakahā, arā, kia ngongoa te hā o te tohunga kia riro ai i te tauira tōna mauri (TTR 1994:148). / His main pupil came and the tohunga asked to perform the ritual whakahā, inhaling the tohunga's breath so that the pupil could obtain his mauri.

Show example

Hide example

hinēioitu

1. (noun) Some kind of stone (Ngāti Porou).

Whare o Rongomaurikura, Te

1. (location) International Centre for Language Revitalisation - based in Te Ipukarea the National Māori Language Institute at AUT University. The name was given by Dr Wharehuia Milroy. Rongo is the god of peaceful pursuits and is usually associated with matters that are deliberated or debated in the sanctity of the wharenui, the meeting house, thus an academy or institute. Issues associated with language and language revitalisation efforts, should be considered as 'vested with a mauri' for those matters to then be acted upon in a positive way. It is the 'vital essence' that is required to allow the process to take shape, form and be inspirited. This comes through belief, united effort and dedication. Once achieved, the mauri operates in that belief that 'Tūwhitia te hopo, mairangatia te angitū' (i.e. eliminate the negative, accentuate the positive) will ensure sustained effort. Kura can be viewed as: 1. Knowledge regained, knowledge used, knowledge gained (discovery); 2. Staff and all associates; 3. The philosophies that serve to underpin all work that is entered into or undertaken; 4. The students; 5. The communities that will seek to benefit from the research; 6 The mauri, so long as it is maintained in a 'healthy state' by the combined efforts of the groups listed above, while distinct from kura in nature and form, is complementary and indeed kura can only continue to survive if the mauri is 'active'.

wairua

1. (noun) spirit, soul - spirit of a person which exists beyond death. It is the non-physical spirit, distinct from the body and the mauri. To some, the wairua resides in the heart or mind of someone while others believe it is part of the whole person and is not located at any particular part of the body. The wairua begins its existence when the eyes form in the foetus and is immortal. While alive a person's wairua can be affected by mākutu through karakia. Tohunga can damage wairua and also protect the wairua against harm. The wairua of a miscarriage or abortion can become a type of guardian for the family or may be used by tohunga for less beneficial purposes. Some believe that all animate and inanimate things have a whakapapa and a wairua. Some believe that atua Māori, or Io-matua-kore, can instill wairua into something. Tohunga, the agents of the atua, are able to activate or instil a wairua into something, such as a new wharenui, through karakia. During life, the wairua may leave the body for brief periods during dreams. The wairua has the power to warn the individual of impending danger through visions and dreams. On death the wairua becomes tapu. It is believed to remain with or near the body and speeches are addressed to the person and the wairua of that person encouraging it on its way to Te Pō. Eventually the wairua departs to join other wairua in Te Pō, the world of the departed spirits, or to Hawaiki, the ancestral homeland. The spirit travels to Te Reinga where it descends to Te Pō. Wairua of the dead that linger on earth are called kēhua. During kawe mate, or hari mate, hura kōhatu and other important occasions the wairua is summoned to return to the marae.

(Te Kōhure Textbook (Ed. 2): 221-228;)

Haere rā i a koe ka kōpikopiko atu ki Te Hono-i-wairua, ki te kāpunipunitanga o te wairua (TTR 1998:37). / We farewell you as you wend your way to the Gathering Place of Spirits, the meeting place of departed souls.
Te tinana, te hinengaro, me te wairua ēnei e toru, te mea nui o ēnei ko te wairua. Te tinana: he anga kau nō te wairua. Te hinengaro: he kaiwhakaatu ki te ao he pēnei nā te wairua kei roto i te tangata (TTT 1/12/1930:2215). / Of these three things, the body, the mind and the spirit, the most important is the spirit. The body is the vehicle for the spirit. The mind shows the world what the spirit of the person is like.

Show example

Hide example


2. (noun) attitude, quintessence, feel, mood, feeling, nature, essence, atmosphere.

Ko te wairua o te kōrero, kia Māori mai (HM 2/1994:10). / The feel of the language should be Māori.

Show example

Hide example

Synonyms: piropiro, tino, matū


3. (noun) bonfire moss, common cord-moss, Funaria hygrometrica - a moss that grows in profusion on moist, shady, and damp bare soil, especially on sites of old fires, and in plant pots in glasshouses and shadehouses. Found throughout Aotearoa/New Zealand.

maurirere

1. (verb) to panic - sometimes written as two words, i.e. mauri rere.

Nō te putanga o te rongo kua takoto he kaupapa ki te haere ki Rāwene, ka maurirere ngā tāngata whai; whakatahi ana te tokomaha ki Kohukohu (TTR 1994:186). / When the news emerged that there was a plan to go to Rāwene, the settlers panicked; many withdrew to Kohukohu.

Show example

Hide example


2. (modifier) panic-stricken.

Ka rongo te iwi mauri rere rā e pakū ana ngā pū, whetē ana ngā karu tētahi ki tētahi, kāore i mōhio me oma rānei, me aha rānei (PK 2008:444). / When that panic-stricken tribe heard the guns going off, they looked wide-eyed at each other, not knowing whether to flee, or what to do.

Show example

Hide example

Synonyms: mauri rere, hopī, tūmekemeke


3. (noun) panic.

Ko te tohe ake nei a te kaunihera wawao, nā tana maurirere i pērā ai ia, ehara kē i te mea i te hiahia ia kia whara i a ia te patunga rā (TTR 2000:224). / The argument of the defence counsel was that he had panicked and had not intended to harm the victim.

Show example

Hide example

See also mauri rere

New favourites & quiz!

The Te Aka Māori Dictionary mobile app now has the ability to sort your favourite words into folders. Plus, these folders can be turned into a quiz for a fun way to learn words and definitions. Download or update the app today!

iOS Android

The App

Te Aka Māori Dictionary is also available as an iOS and Android app. Download below.

iOS Android

The Book

Te Aka Māori-English, English-Māori Dictionary and Index by John C Moorfield comprises a selection of modern and everyday language that will be extremely useful for learners of the Māori language.

More info

He Pātaka Kupu

Te kai a te rangatira

He Pātaka Kupu is a monolingual Māori language dictionary, and was designed using its own culturally authentic terms.

Visit website

00:00