Tau

1. (noun) string (of a garment, etc.), loop or thong (of a patu).

Kātahi te tama ka whakatika, ka whakawiria iho te tau o te patu ki te ringa (NM 1928:395). / Then the boy rose up and twisted the string handle of the short weapon around his hand.

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Synonyms: koromeke, kono, koropewapewa, koru, koropewa, pōkuru

2. (noun) tie, fastening, string, cord (of a bag, etc.).

I whaohia ā rāua kupu ki roto i taua pūtea, nō te paunga ki roto kātahi ka kumea te tau, kātahi ka rōpine mai ā rāua kupu ki te tangere o te pūtea, ka takoto i konā mō āke tonu atu (TPH 30/3/1901:3). / Their words were placed in that bag and once inside the tie was pulled and then their words were close together in the bottom of the bag where they lie forever.

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tāu

1. (determiner) your (referring to one person and a single item) - often followed by a noun but can stand without one.

(Te Kākano Textbook (Ed. 2): 52-56;)

Kei hea tāu ika? / Where's your fish?

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tau

1. (verb) (-ria) to land, alight, come to rest, settle on, count, settle, perch, ride at anchor, resolve.

Ka tau mai ki ngā kura reo, e pau ana te hau, ka hoki atu e hikohiko katoa ana te ngākau (HM 4/2008:3). / I arrived at the language learning gathering worn out and when I returned home I was enthusiastic.

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Synonyms: pae, pūtohe, niwha, whakapau kaha, pūkeke, noho, nohonoho, whakaea, whakanoho, whakatatū, whakatau, whakamāhaki, whakataiwhenua, tatū, pūwhenua

2. (verb) to settle down, subside, abate.

Ka tau te riri, ka hohou te rongo (TTR 1990:57). / Hostilities subsided and peace was made.

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Synonyms: pāngū, māwhe, mārie, rarau

3. (modifier) neat, comely, smart, attractive, handsome, becoming, suitable, beautiful, cute, befitting.

(Te Kōhure Textbook (Ed. 2): 196;)

Māku e tapa he ingoa tau mōhou (TTT 1/4/1930:2035). / I will bestow a befitting name for you.

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Synonyms: koea, ātaahua, hūmārie, hūmārire, ātanga, pīwari, turua, purotu, waiwaiā, tōingo, tōrire, pūhangaiti, taputapu kē

4. (noun) attractiveness, beauty, grace, elegance.

He rite te whiunga i te poi me te rite o te whiu o te waewae, me te tungoutanga o te māhunga, me te tau hoki o te tinana ki te titiro atu (TPH 16/4/1900:5). / The swinging of the poi and feet were in unison, together with the bowing of the head and how graceful the bodies were.

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Synonyms: rerehua, ātaahua, hūmārie, hūmārire, ātanga, purotu, waiwaiā

tau

1. (verb) (-a) to sing, bark (of a dog).

Ka rongo te kurī rā i te haunga whenua, kātahi ka tau te kurī nei (NM 1928:102). / When that dog smelled the land, it barked.

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Synonyms: toiere, kitā, maire, tangi, pao, umere, whakakitā, korokī, korihi, puoro, waiata

2. (noun) song, chant at the beginning of a speech.

Ka tau te tini o te Hakuturi i tana tau anō (NM 1928:47). / The multitude of the Hakuturi sang his song again.

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tau

1. (verb) (-ia,-ria) to attack.

Ka tauria te pā o Whakatōhea, kīhai i taea (W 1971:396). / Whakatōhea's pā was attacked, but it was not taken.

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tau

1. (noun) husband, spouse, partner, lover, darling, beau, boyfriend, girlfriend, sweetheart.

Hei konei rā ē, e te tau pūmau (TTT 1/5/1923:9). / Farewell, my lifelong friend.

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Synonyms: hoa tākunekune, tau o te ate, makau, tahu, kairoro, whaiāipo, ipo

tau

1. (noun) year, age.

Ka toru ngā tau o te pānga mai o tana mate rūmātiki ki a ia (HKW 10/1898:4). / He was afflicted with rheumatism for three years.

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Synonyms: houanga

2. (noun) season, period of time, interval, time of year.

I te tau o te kūmara, whakapapatia atu ki runga i ngā pōhatu ngā kūmara pakupaku i te hukenga o te hāngi. I te maonga, kua whakamaroketia hai kao, ā, kātahi hoki te kai reka, whakawaiwai ko tēnei ko te kao (TTR 1998:206). / In the kūmara season, small kūmara were placed on the rocks in the hāngī after the food had been removed. When cooked they were dried producing kao, and how sweet and mouth-watering this kao was.

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Synonyms: wā, kaupeka, takiwā, houanga

tau-

1. Prefix indicating reciprocal action.

Kei te tautohetohe rāua ki a rāua. / They are arguing with each other.

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2. (particle) Prefix used with a few words to indicate that something is strange or unusual, e.g. tauiwi (foreign people), tauwhenua (strange land), tautangata (stranger).

tau

1. (noun) ridge.

Ka huri mātau ki tua o tētahi tau, ka kitea atu e mātau ngā tēneti e mā mai ana me ngā wākena hoki, i te taha mauī o ngā tēneti e tū mai ana ngā pūrepo a te hoariri (TPH 15/1/1900:7). / We rounded a ridge and saw the the white of the tents and the wagons, with the cannons of the enemy standing to the left of the tents.

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Synonyms: tārawa, tūtūātanga, io, tuatua, taukaka, parehua, ripa

2. (noun) range.

Ka tīmata i te awa o Whangaehu, haere atu i taua awa ki te tau o Te Ruahine, haere ngā tau o Te Ruahine, o Tararua, tae noa ki te puke o Paekākāriki ; haere whakatehauāuru i runga i Paekākāriki ki te moana, ā, haere i te taha moana (hui katoa te motutere o Kapiti) hono noa ki te tīmatanga (TKM.MM 13/3/1862:25). / It commences at the mouth of the Whangaehu River, from there by that river to the Ruahine Range, then following the Ruahine and Tararua ranges to Paekākāriki Hill, then westwards across Paekākāriki to the sea, and then by the coast (including the island of Kapiti) to join back up with the starting point.

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Synonyms: takiwātanga, taupae, taka, whānui, ripa, takataka

tau

1. (noun) number.

Ko ngā tau kei runga ake i te 0, ka kīia he tau tōrunga, ko ngā tau kei raro iho i te 0, ka kīia he tau tōraro (PK 2008:882). / The numbers above 0 are said to be positive numbers, the numbers below 0 are said to be negative numbers.

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Synonyms: maha, nama, whika, tatau