homai
1. (verb) (-hia,-ngia,-tia) to give (towards the speaker), contribute, grant, provide - does not take a passive ending when used as a command and traditionally never took one. A passive suffix is often used in passive sentences, other than commands, in modern Māori.
(Te Kākano Textbook (Ed. 2): 63, 67;)
Homai te pata. / Pass the butter please.
Haere ana ki a Mahuika, ka homai e Mahuika ko tētehi o ngā maikuku (TP 3/1913:8). / He went to Mahuika and she gave him one of her fingernails.
Ka homaingia e ia he hiripa mōku, he koti, me tētahi tāora (TWK 15:10). / She gave me some slippers, a coat and a towel.
2. (verb) (-hia,-ngia,-tia) to bring.
3. (interjection) my turn, my move - used in the whakaropiropi hand game when each of the two players has their turn to make a movement to catch the opponent in the same position. If one thinks the opponent has been caught they add rā, i.e. the call is homai rā (I've caught you).
Ki te rite te piu o ngā ringa o ngā kaitākaro, kia tere tonu te 'Homai rā' a tētahi, kia toa ai ia (PK 2008:126). / If the arm movement of the players is the same, one should quickly say 'Homai rā' so that she wins.
See also whakaropiropi
whakaropiropi
1. (noun) a traditional hand game - played by two people who take turns to call. For the first two calls of each round the hands are slapped on the thighs. The one starting calls, 'Whakaropiropi ai?' (Shall we play whakaropiropi?) and the partner responds, 'Āe.' (Yes.) Then the starter calls as he makes his first move, 'Tēnei mea te homai.' (This is my move.) The follower then calls, 'Homai!'. Each alternates with the call of, 'Homai!' Each person attempts to do the same hand action when she/he calls and if successful calls homai rā. The winner starts the next round by calling his/her tally, 'Tahi rā anō!' (One point to me) and the follower replies, 'Āe!' Then the game proceeds as for the first round. There are two sets of movements for Whakaropiropi, one with a set of five arm movements and the other with a set of six hand movements. The aim of the game is to catch your opponent with the same action when it's your turn to call, but to do a different action from your opponent when it's the turn of your opponent to call.
Anei te pātai a te mea ka tīmata i te whakaropiropi. 'Whakaropiropi ai?' Kua kī ake te hoa, 'Āe', kua haere te mahi (PK 2008:1128). / Here is the question of the one beginning whakaropiropi. 'Will we play whakaropiropi?' the partner responds, 'Yes,' and the activity continues.
