matawhāiti
1. (modifier) cautious, prudent, careful, tactful.
Nā ōna mōhiotanga, nā tāna atawhai matawhāiti, nā tōna hiringa me tōna mātauranga tōrangapū, i pērā rawa ai te angitu ōna ki tēnei whakatakanga āna (TTR 1996:112). / His intelligence, tact and persistence and political skill brought him considerable success in this mission (DNZB 1996:363).
Matāwha
1. (loan) (personal name) Mata‘afa.
Te rongo i tae mai o Hāmoa, ko Matāwha i haria nei e Tiamana, i runga i tētahi raruraru i puta i Hāmoa i waenganui i a Matāwha me Mariatoa i te tau 1893... (TJ 3/11/1898:3). / There is news in from Samoa that Mata‘afa has been taken away by Germany, due to troubles which arose in Samoa between Mata‘afa and Malietoa in 1893...
matawhā
1. (noun) bronze whaler, Carcharhinus brachyurus - a heavy-bodied shark up to 3 m long with a broadly rounded snout. Bronze above, sometimes olive-green. Common around upper North Island but occurs south to Cook Strait and Tasman Bay in summer.
See also ngengero
2. (noun) blue shark, Prionace glauca - light-bodied with long pectoral fins. Body slender, tapering from the snout. The top of the body is deep blue, lighter on the sides, and the underside is white. The male blue shark commonly grows to 1.82 to 2.82 m at maturity, whereas the larger females commonly grow to 2.2 to 3.3 m. They feed primarily on small fish and squid, although they can take larger prey. Common throughout Aotearoa/New Zealand.
See also aupounamu
Synonyms: mangō au pounamu, mangō pounamu, taha pounamu, ngengero, aupounamu
