māhia
1. (noun) indistinct sound.
Nāwai rā, ā, ka pō, me te whai tonu atu te waka rā i te māhia o te waha o te kurī rā (NM 1928:102). / In due course it became dark, with that canoe continuing to follow the indistinct sound of the barking of that dog.
See also wawara
mahia atu/e mahi ([koe]) i [tō] mahi
1. get on and do it then, go on then do it - an idiom used as a command to get on and do something. Also used to imply that the speaker does not support the action or want be a part of it, or it is a warning to the person not to do it.
Ka haere tātou ki te kēmu, nē? Mahia atu kōrua. Me noho au i te kāinga whakaoti ai i ētahi mahi. / Let's go to the game, shall we? You two go. I had better stay at home and complete some jobs.
mahi
1. (verb) (-a,-ngia) to work, do, perform, make, accomplish, practise, raise (money).
Kei te taka mai ngā rā e mahia nuitia ai e te Pākehā te mahi whakamaroke me te mahi tini i te paramu me ērā atu huarākau (TP 12/1905:7). / The days are approaching when Pākehā will be busy drying and canning plums and other fruit.
Synonyms: whakatutuki, whakaakoako, parakitihi, haratau, whakawai, whakahāngai, whakaharatau, akoako, hangahanga, whakahangahanga, whaihanga, hanga, āhua, mea, waihanga, whakarite, tapa, whakaatu, whakaataata, whakahua, whakahaere, whakatūtū, hahaka, haka
2. (noun) work, job, employment, trade (work), practice, occupation, activity, exercise, operation, function.
Kei te taka mai ngā rā e mahia nuitia ai e te Pākehā te mahi whakamaroke me te mahi tini i te paramu me ērā atu huarākau (TP 12/1905:7). / The days are approaching when Pākehā will be busy drying and canning plums and other fruit.
Synonyms: umanga, whakatāuteute, whakahaerenga, whakahaere
3. (noun) abundance, lots of, many, heaps of.
(Te Māhuri Textbook (Ed. 2): 113;)
Kua kapi taua wāhi i te mahi a te whare. / That place was covered with lots of houses.
I ētahi tau he tino kaha kē te hua o ngā piki nei, ā, he tino reka hoki mō te kai. I ētahi rā, i te haere kē mātau, hoki rawa mai kua pau ngā hua te kai i te mahi a te tamariki (HP 1991:13). / In some years these fig trees fruited prolifically and they were very tasty to eat. Some days, when we went elsewhere, when we returned the fruit had all been eaten by the many children.
See also te mahi a te ...
Synonyms: ngerongero, ngero, tokomaha, te mahi a te ..., tōnuitanga, maruru, ngahue, maha, makuru, nui, makurutanga, hira, huhua, huhuatanga, humi, pukahu, rahinga, ranea, kaipukahu, harahara, te hanga a te, takitini, hia, wene, mahamaha, tuarea, marea, tuauriuri, pio, tini
