māhunga
1. (noun) head.
(Te Kākano Textbook (Ed. 2): 87-88;)
Ko te mea mīharo o roto i tēnei karaunatanga a te tangata Māori i tō tāua nei kīngi, kāore i whakawahia ki te hinu, engari he mea hoatu he Paipera ki runga i tōna māhunga (TP 11/1912:6). / The amazing thing of this coronation of a Māori of our king was that he wasn't anointed with oil but a Bible was placed on his head.
See also māhuna
2. (noun) hair of the head.
Me whakaako i te wā e iti ana kia heru, kia paraihe i ō rātou māhunga (TTT 1/4/1923:2). / They should be taught to comb and brush their hair when they are small.
Mehemea he paru te paraihe, ka hē te māhunga mā (TTT 1/4/1923:2). / If the brush is dirty the clean hair will be contaminated.
2. (noun) dipstick, idiot, forgetful person - a colloquialism used to refer to someone flaky.
He māhunga wai, he wareware ki ngā mea katoa (HJ 2017:58). / A forgetful person, she forgets everything.
2. (noun) high tackle (rugby).
2. (noun) headache, hangover.
Mō ngā mate pērā i te ānini o te māhunga, ka motuhia te kiri kia rere ai te toto (Te Ara 2015). / For painful conditions such as headaches, the skin was cut so that blood flowed.
