Filters

Idioms

Phrases

Proverbs

Loan words

Historical loan words

Filters

Idioms

Phrases

Proverbs

Loan words

Historical loan words

kanikani

1. (verb) (-a) to dance.

Hei te pō o te Hātarei ka huihui ki taua mahi, ka kanikani, ā ao noa te rā ka rokohanga e te hiamoe (TP 2/1907:2). / On Saturday night they will gather for that activity and dance, and next day they will want to sleep.

Show example

Hide example


2. (verb) (-a) to rub backwards and forwards, saw.

Otirā meake pai ai, nā te mea e kanikania ana he rākau mō tētahi whare hou, e kore e maha ngā marama kua pai he nohoanga (TWMNT 31/8/1875:195). / But soon it will be fine because timber is being sawn for a new house and it won't be many months before it will be a good place to live.

Show example

Hide example


3. (modifier) sawn, milled (of timber).

He rākau kanikani, he pata, ngā utanga mai. / Sawn timber and butter formed the shipment.

Show example

Hide example


4. (noun) dance, dancing.

Waiho atu ngā rīpene me ngā kākahu o te Pākehā mō ā te Pākehā kanikani (TP 5/1901:3). / Leave the ribbons and Pākehā clothes for the Pākehā dances.

Show example

Hide example

kanikani

1. (noun) sciatica - pain affecting the back, hip, and outer side of the leg, caused by compression of a spinal nerve root in the lower back.

kanikani nahanaha

1. (noun) sequence dancing.

I tētahi kanikani nahanaha, ka tāruaruatia tētahi tauira nekehanga, ētahi takahanga waewae rānei. Ko te tengitengi tētahi momo kanikani ka taka ki raro i tēnei whakarōpūtanga, ko te pekerangi, ko te kanikani matatira anō hoki (RMR 2017). / A sequence dance is when some types of movement, or some steps, are repeated. One type of dance that falls under this category is a waltz, and there is also disco dancing and line dancing.

Show example

Hide example

kanikani patō

1. (noun) tap dancing, tap dance.

tira kanikani

1. (noun) dance troupe.

kanikani keretao

1. (noun) break-dancing.

whare kanikani

1. (noun) dance hall.

I te kauwhau a tētahi minita Pākehā o Tūranga nei mō te Haerenga Tuarua mai o te Karaiti i mea ia e kore rawa ia i pai kia rokohanga mai ia e te Karaiti i roto i te tiata, i roto rānei i te whare kanikani, i te papa reihi hōiho rānei (TP 8/1904:10). / In a sermon by a Pākehā minister from Gisborne about the Second Coming of Christ, he said that he would never like to be found by Christ in a theatre, in a dance hall or at the race course.

Show example

Hide example

huānga kanikani

1. (noun) dance elements.

E rima ngā āhuatanga matua o tētahi kanikani, o tētahi rerenga nekehanga rānei, ā, ka kīia ēnei ko ngā huānga kanikani (RMR 2017). / There are five main aspects of a dance, or of a movement phase, and these are called the dance elements.

Show example

Hide example

kanikani matatira

1. (noun) line dancing.

I tētahi kanikani nahanaha, ka tāruaruatia tētahi tauira nekehanga, ētahi takahanga waewae rānei. Ko te tengitengi tētahi momo kanikani ka taka ki raro i tēnei whakarōpūtanga, ko te pekerangi, ko te kanikani matatira anō hoki (RMR 2017). / A sequence dance is when some types of movement, or some steps, are repeated. One type of dance that falls under this category is a waltz, and there is also disco dancing and line dancing.

Show example

Hide example

kanikani tūtū

1. (noun) krumping.

Ko te kanikani tūtū he momo kanikani o nāianei i puta i ngā tau tōmua o tēnei rautau i ngā tiriti o Amerika, ka mātua kawea e te hunga taiohi mangumangu o reira. He haukori ngā nekeneke, he tino whakaatu i te pupūtanga ake o ngā kare ā-roto, pēnei i te riri, te kōhukihuki me te matekiri. He momo whakamahea i ēnei kare ā-roto me te kore e pā o te ringa taikaha o tētahi ki tētahi (RMR 2017). / Krumping is a style of contemporary dance which emerged in the early years of this century on the streets of America, mainly developed by black youth. The movements are energetic and expressive of emotions such as anger, frustration and disillusionment. It is seen as a way of releasing these emotions in a non-violent way (RMR 2017).

Show example

Hide example

rōpū kanikani

1. (noun) dance ensemble.

Ka mau te wehi o te rōpū kanikani e hītekiteki mai rā! (RMR 2017). / The dance ensemble strutting about are terrific!

Show example

Hide example

kanikani takirua ōkawa

1. (noun) ballroom dancing.

kanikani o nāianei

1. (noun) contemporary dance.

Te Kākano 3rd Edition

New edition of the leading Māori-language textbook out now.

More info

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