aua
1. (interjection) I don't know, how should I know? don't ask! - depending on the intonation, sometimes it indicates that the speaker isn't particularly interested in knowing, or that the question shouldn't be asked, or that it is inappropriate to ask the speaker that question.
Rangi: He aha te hāora e mutu ai te mahi a Hāromi? Pare: Aua. Tainakarehā, ko te whā karaka. Tainanahi, ko te ono (HKK 1999:168). / Rangi: What time does Hāromi finish work? Pare: I don't know. The day before yesterday it was four o'clock. Yesterday it was at six.
See also aua hoki, e aua hoki
2. (verb) to not know.
aua
1. (verb) to be far advanced, ahead, well gone, long gone, distant - usually followed by atu or mai.
Ka oti te takutaku ka tukua te teka kia rere, kātahi ka rere, whakaaweawe ki runga, aua rawa atu ki runga, kātahi anō ka ahu te uru o te teka ki te whenua, tau noa atu e toru tekau takoto te mataratanga i ā ētahi katoa (JPS 1925:313). / When he had completed the ritual chant he launched the dart and it flew a great distance upwards then the head of the dart turned toward the earth and it fell thirty takoto beyond all the others.
Pakū rawa ake ā rātau pū, kua aua atu kē ngā rererangi o te Tiamana (HP 1991:184). / When their guns finally went off, the Germans' aeroplanes were long gone.
See also ka/kua aua atu te wā, aua atu (rā)
Synonyms: pōpōroa
aua
1. (noun) yellow-eye mullet, Aldrichetta forsteri - silvery fish with greenish-to-bluish tinge or olive-grey on back, pale yellow tinge below. Body elongated and cylindrical with pointed head and snout. Two dorsal fins. Common in schools in sheltered estuaries and harbours.
Ka kitea atu te mahi a te aua e ngote ana i te wai tai (HP 1991:16). / Lots of yelloweye mullet were seen sucking the salt water.
aua
1. (negative) do not, don't - shortened form of kaua.
Aua hoki e hiahia ki te wahine a tōu hoa, aua hoki e hiahia ki te whare o tōu hoa, ki tana māra, ki tana pononga tāne, ki tana pononga wahine, ki tana kau, ki tana kāihe, ki tētahi mea rānei a tōu hoa (PT Tiuteronomi 5:21). / Neither shalt thou desire thy neighbour's wife, neither shalt thou covet thy neighbour's house, his field, or his manservant, or his maidservant, his ox, or his ass, or any thing that is thy neighbour's.
e aua
1. (interjection) I don't know, goodness knows, how should I know! don't ask!.
(Te Pihinga Textbook (Ed. 2): 106; Te Pihinga Audio Tapes/CDs (Ed. 2): exercise 40;)
Pare: Āhea tātou ka utua? Rangi: E aua, ko te tikanga ko koe kē e mōhio ana - ko koe hoki tā tātou kaikaute! (HKK 1999:169). / Pare: When will we be paid? Rangi: I don't know, you are supposed to know - and you are our accountant!
See also e aua hoki
aua hoki
1. (particle) I don't know, goodness knows, how should I know? don't ask! I don't have a clue - depending on the intonation, sometimes this can have connotations of not caring, or how could one possibly know, or implying that one shouldn't ask the question.
Pare: Kei te tika anō ngā kōhimuhimu mō Haki rāua ko Hira? Rangi: Aua hoki. Kei mahara koe ko au tō rāua kaiwhakaaweawe (HKK 1999:169). / Pare: Are the rumours about Jack and Jill correct? Rangi: I don't know. You shouldn't think that I am their go-between.
e aua hoki
1. goodness knows, I don't know, how should I know! don't ask! - an idiom to indicate that the speaker doesn't know. Sometimes it indicates that the speaker isn't particularly interested in knowing, or that the question shouldn't be asked, or that it is inappropriate to ask the speaker that question.
(Te Pihinga Textbook (Ed. 2): 106; Te Pihinga Audio Tapes/CDs (Ed. 2): exercise 40;)
E tika ana anō ngā kōhimuhimu mō Taika? E aua hoki. Ko wai ka hua, ko wai ka tohu. / Is the gossip about Tiger actually correct? I don't know. Who can tell.
aua atu (rā)
1. nonetheless, no matter, nevertheless, never mind, it doesn't matter, who cares, don't worry - an idiom used to indicate that there is nothing to be concerned about.
(Te Pihinga Textbook (Ed. 2): 106; Te Pihinga Audio Tapes/CDs (Ed. 2): exercise 40; Te Kōhure Textbook (Ed. 2): 242;)
Kua pau te miraka. Aua atu. Māku e hoko i te ahiahi nei. / The milk's run out. Never mind. I'll buy some this afternoon.
Pare: Ai. I wareware katoa au ki te kuhu tarau roto. Rangi: Aua atu rā. Ko wai ka mōhio (HKK 1999:164). / Pare: Heck. I completely forgot to put on panties. Rangi: Never mind. Who would know.
Synonyms: tonu, hai aha!, hei aha koa, kia ahatia, me aha koa, ahakoa, he ahakoa, hei aha (koa/noa iho), anō
2. (negative) should not - used in negation following kia.
Me whakatū he pōti mō te waipiro, kia whakaaetia, kia kaua e whakaaetia ki Te Rohe Pōtae. / A referendum should be held as to whether or not alcohol should be allowed into the King Country.
3. (negative) must not - sometimes used in negation following me.
Me kaua a Kura-mōnehu e tere te whakaae atu ina tono a Rōra kia moe rāua. / Kura-mōnehu shouldn't be in a hurry to agree when Rōra requests that they wed.
4. (negative) not - used when negating a single phrase, not the whole sentence.
ngaua
1. (determiner) those (mentioned before) - plural of taua. Must be followed by a noun. Tainui variation of aua.
Pōwhiri mai ana ngaua iwi rā, kātahi ā mātou tamariki ka ngeri atu, me mātou e karanga ana (TWK 47:31). / When those tribes welcomed us, then our children performed a ngeri back and we called.
