pōaha
1. (verb) to be open.
Engari i mea i a ia anō kia pōaha, ka mau ki te āhua o te pononga (PT Piripai 2:7). / But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant.
Synonyms: marake, pūaha, tuwhera, māhorahora, matata, matatea, tīwhera, areare, kohera, tuhera, wātea, whakaareare, whakapuare, whewhera, uaki, mawhera, koraha, mārakerake, kohea, ango, puare, tīwara, tūmatanui, pawhera, hemahema, whakatuwhera, whakatuhera, huaki, poare, hīrikore, are, puakaha, raha, tūraha, tawhera
2. (verb) to be empty.
Waiho au kia pōaha ana, he rimu pukā, kei te ākau (M 2004:90). / Let me remain empty, like the porous seaweed on the shore.
2. (modifier) empty.
He pēke witi (pēke kautahanga nei) ētahi kei a au e takoto ana mō te hoko (TWM 20/2/1868:6). / Some things I have for sale are wheat sacks (empty ones).
tahanga
1. (modifier) naked, bereft, desolate, having nothing.
I te ata ka kitea kua kōhuru te kōtiro i a ia. E takoto tahanga ana i te hope ki te kakī - he mea pupuhi nāna tōna uma ki te pū (KO 12/5/1918:10). / In the morning is was discovered that the girl had murdered him. He lay naked from the waist to the neck - she had shot him in the chest with the gun.
2. (modifier) alone.
I a ia e tū tahanga ana ko ia anake, i te pupuhi tonu a ia i tana pū poto (TTR 1990:393). / While he was standing alone, he fired his carbine.
3. (modifier) empty.
Kāore rawa tētahi mea tōtika i mahue i a Rūhia ki roto i aua pā; ko ngā pā anake i mahue iho i a rātou kia tū tahanga ana (TKO 9/1915:4). / Nothing useful was left behind by the Russians in those forts; all they left behind were just the forts standing empty.
4. (modifier) moderately, a little.
Kaua e waiho te wai kia koropupū, kia werawera tahanga (W 1971:357). / Don't let the water boil, it should be lukewarm.
arero kau
1. (intransitive verb) to pay lip service.
Ko tō tātou āhua e pēnei ana, ko te whakahē ki te hoko a te Kāwanatanga kei te arero kau, ko ngā ringaringa e hiahia noa ana ki te kaute i ngā moni mō tōna whenua (TWMNT 21/3/1876:73). / Our nature is that with our tongues only we condemn the purchases by the Government, while our hands itch to count the money we receive in payment for the land.
2. (noun) empty words, mere words, one who throws around empty words.
He arero kau, he nui te kōrero, ko te mahi ia, korekore nei (HJ 2017:18). / He’s one who throws around empty words, but there’s no action.
ngutu kau
1. (modifier) hypocritical, two-faced.
Ka unga ia e ahau ki te iwi ngutu kau (PT Ihaia 10:6). / I will send him against an hypocritical nation.
See also noho ngutu kau
2. (noun) mere talk, just talk, empty promise, one who makes an empty promise.
Nā, mō te taha ki a Tā Hōri Kerei. Kua maha noa ngā mea pai i kīia e ia kia tukua ki ngā Māori, engari kāore anō i mana noa tētahi o ana kupu, arā tētahi o ngā mea i whakaae ai ia; nō konei ko ngā Māori i āhua whakapono ki a ia i mua ai kua mōhio ināianei he ngutu kau āna kōrero, kāore he tinanatanga, he wairua kau (TWMNT 25/1/1879:257). / With regard to Sir George Grey, he has said many good things would be given to the Māori but not one of his promises have been fulfilled; even the Māori who were inclined to believe him, now know that his words are mere talk, nothing tangible can be expected.
Synonyms: kai ā-waha
pare ā-waha
1. (noun) empty words, empty promise, lip service, not a serious proposition.
Ko te waiata nei he whakautu nā Irihāpeti Rangiteapakura i te tono a Toihau, he kupu tuku noa mai i te takiwā, kāore i haramaitia ā-tinanatia; koia te ‘pare ā-waha’ (M 2004:20). / This song was Irihāpeti Rangiteapakura's reply to Toihau's proposal, which was sent through the air and not made in person, it was just empty words.
2. (noun) someone who makes empty promises.
Kaua e aro atu ki āna kōrero, he pare ā-waha, kei ngā ngutu noa te kōrero. / Don't take any notice of what she says, she's someone who makes empty promises, it's just lip service.
hemahema
1. (verb) to be empty, open, bare, void.
He taonga anō te mau tonu ki ngā tūmanako, ahakoa pēhea. Mēnā i hoki te tangata i te hūtukinga tuatahitanga o te waewae ki te pakiaka, hemahema ana tērā te kete i te hokinga, ā, e kore tonu te tangata e mōhio he aha ngā painga kei kō tata atu e takoto ana (HM 1/1994:2). / Holding firmly to one's aspirations, no matter what, is an asset. If a person gives up at the first obstacle, then the basket will be empty and she will never know what benefits lie just beyond.
Synonyms: marake, pūaha, tuwhera, māhorahora, matata, matatea, tīwhera, areare, kohera, tuhera, wātea, whakaareare, whakapuare, whewhera, uaki, mawhera, koraha, mārakerake, kohea, ango, puare, tīwara, tūmatanui, pawhera, whakatuwhera, whakatuhera, huaki, poare, hīrikore, are, pōaha, puakaha, raha, tūraha, tawhera
2. (modifier) empty, open, bare, void.
He wāhi hemahema kei waenganui i a Papatūānuku me ngā whetū o te rangi (PK 2008:101). / There is an open space between Earth and the stars of the sky.
3. (noun) emptiness, empty.
Tērā ka whakamahia mātou kia whakahoki i tētahi wāhanga o te pūtea ki te kete nui a te Tāhuhu, ahakoa pēhea te hemahema o tā mātou ake (HM 1/1995:7). / Then we will be made to return a portion of the funding to the Ministry's large kit, despite how empty our own is.
2. (noun) partly filled container.
te rae anake
1. with nothing, empty-handed - an idiom used for going empty-handed to friends or to a marae, etc.
Kāore e pai kia haere ki tētahi marae ko te rae anake. Me hari he kōparepare. / It's not good to go to a marae empty-handed. A gift should be taken.
Aroha ana ngā tūwaewae nei i te haerenga mai ko te rae anake. / I feel sorry for these guests that have arrived with absolutely nothing.
waha kau
1. (noun) unreliable talk, rumour, empty talk.
E kōrerotia ana kai te hiahia a Waikato kia whakamātau ki te tango mai i ōna whenua kua riro i te Pākehā. Otirā he waha kau ia, he kōrero noa iho (TWM 14/6/1866:100). / It is being said that Waikato want to try to take back its lands that the Pākehā have obtained, but it's only rumour, just talk.
Synonyms: kōrero takuahi, tara, wawara, kōhimuhimu, kohimu, kōhumuhumu, tūtara
2. (noun) unreliable person - a person who does not keep their word.
Kāore noa anō kia tae mai tana reta e whakaū ana i tāna i kī ai - he waha kau pea (HJ 2015:39). / Her letter has in fact not yet arrived confirming what she said - perhaps she's an unreliable person.
kau
1. (particle) alone, by oneself, solitarily, bare, empty, naked, without hindrance, unreservedly, to no purpose, purely and simply, solely, exclusively, only, merely, just, idle, inactive, for no particular reason, in vain, to no avail, helplessly, none at all, very, seriously, totally - a manner particle indicating the absence of other factors. Where kau follows a verb in the passive it will take a passive ending also, usually -tia. In this situation the passive ending may be dropped from the verb, but not from kau. As with other manner particles in Māori, while having a general overall meaning, kau can be translated in a variety of ways, depending on the context.
(Te Pihinga Textbook (Ed. 2): 91-92;)
Rapu kau ana a Tāwhiri-mātea, kua hunaia e Papa-tū-ā-nuku ana tamariki. / Tāwhiri-mātea searched everywhere, but Papa-tū-ā-nuku had hidden her children.
Ka whaowhia te kūmara ki roto, kī tonu, kore rawa he wāhi i āputa, arā i takoto kau noa iho, kī tonu (JPS 1926:95). / The kūmara were put in it, and filled it up, there was no open space remaining, that is it was absolutely full.
Synonyms: katoa, tata, tika, tou, noa, noa iho, tōkeke, noa ake, tonu, ia, ia rā, heipū, mārie, mārika, mārire, kāhore kau, anake, anahe, nahe, ake, kiri kau, kirikau, tahanga, hahake, pakiwhara
2. (particle) as soon as, no sooner had - a slight variation from the general meaning above where kau is used to indicate immediacy.
Utua kautia te moni tuatahi ki a Te Teira me tōna iwi, tukuna atu ana e te kāwanatanga ngā kairūri (TTR 1990:291). / As soon as the first payment was made to Te Teira and his people, the government sent in the surveyors.
hāmama
1. (verb) to shout, yell, open the mouth - as with other words for shouting, it is the mouth, rather than the person that does the action.
Tekau māero ki te raki o Makōura ka ohorere, ka hāmama te waha i te kitenga atu i te tini, i te mano o te tangata (TTR 1990:86). / Ten miles north of Makōura, so great was his surprise that his mouth dropped open when he saw the thousands of men.
Synonyms: whakahāmama, hō, ōi, tīwaha, hauma, hāparangi, haute, umere, karanga
2. (verb) to be open (of the mouth), gaping.
Ko te taniwha kua hāmama haere mai te waha, kua whētero mai te arero (NM 1928:128). / The taniwha had its mouth gaping as it came and the tongue poking out.
3. (verb) to be vacant, empty, exempt.
Kei hea te wāhi o te ao i hāmama i te raru? (W 1971:33). / Where is there a place in the world that has been exempt from trouble?
4. (noun) shouting, yelling.
Ko Tame Teira, mema mō Ōtautahi, te tangata i tino toa ki te tū ki te Pirimia, i mea ia, 'Anō te hāmama a te Pirimia, he pūru kua tū.' (TP 11/1903:5) / Tom Taylor, member for Christchurch, was the person who was daring enough to stand up to the Prime Minister and he said, 'Behold the shouting of the Prime Minister, like a wounded bull.'
hore
1. (verb) (-a,-ngia) to peel, strip off.
2. (modifier) be bald, bare, deficient.
Me whakahou ngā taea hore o tō waka kia kore ai koe e aituā i te rori (PK 2008:132). / The bald tires of your vehicle should be renewed so that you don't have an accident on the road.
Synonyms: rake, pākira, porohewa, moremore, hohore, horehore, tāmoremore, hewa, tāmore, mārakerake, māmori, monemone, māmore, more, marake
3. (noun) idiot, simpleton, dimwit, empty headed.
Synonyms: pōrewarewa
