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Idioms

Phrases

Proverbs

Loan words

Historical loan words

Mei

1. (loan) (personal noun) May.

(Te Kākano Textbook (Ed. 2): 47;)

Hei a Mei me whakatō anō he kāpiti, he kareparāoa, he rōpere (TP 4/1908:11). / In May cabbage, cauliflower and strawberries should be planted again.

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Synonyms: Haratua, Maramarima, Hakiharatua

Maramarima

1. (personal noun) May.

I whānau au ki Nūhaka, Hāki Pei, i te 10 o ngā rā o Maramarima, tau 1904, i tō mātau kāinga e pātata atu ana ki te awa o Nūhaka (HP 1991:12). / I was born at Nūhaka, Hawkes Bay, on the 10th May, 1904, at our home close to the Nūhaka River.

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Synonyms: Haratua, Mei, Hakiharatua

āpōpō ka tīkaro ō whatu ki Mahurangi

1. eat up for there may be no food tomorrow - an idiom said to a child who hasn't eaten her/his food. It suggests that there may be no food tomorrow in the hope that the child realises he/she must eat.

Pare: Ka rua rā pea tāua e haere ana, kātahi anō ka tae. Anei tā tāua parāoa hei ō haere mā tāua. Rangi: Hei aha māku tō parāoa maroke nā. Whāngaihia atu ki tō hōiho. Pare: E kī! Āpōpō ka tīkoro ō whatu ki Mahurangi (HKK 1999:158). / Pare: We will be travelling for about two days before we arrive. Here is our bread as our food for the journey. Rangi: Your dry bread is not for me. Feed it to your horse. Pare: You don't say! You'd better eat up for there may be no food tomorrow.

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Hakiharatua

1. (personal noun) twelfth lunar month of the Māori year, approximately equivalent to May.

Kei te whakaata mai a Puanga-rua i roto i te Kāhui o Tautoru mō te marangai kei a Hakiharatua, arā, kei a Mei (TTT 1/3/1930:2007). / Rigel appears in the constellation of Orion's Belt for the rain in the lunar month of Haki-haratua, that is, May.

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See also Haratua

Synonyms: Haratua, Maramarima, Mei

me

1. (particle) if, if only - often implies the reverse of what is stated and can be used with the verbal particles i, ka, e ... ana and with he.

(Te Pihinga Textbook (Ed. 2): 66-67;)

Me he manu ahau, kua rere atu ki Rarotonga. / If I was a bird I would have flown to Rarotonga.

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2. (particle) as if, like - unlike other prepositions, me with this meaning can precede he.

(Te Māhuri Study Guide (Ed. 1): 63-64;)

He tino whero, me he pua rātā. / It's bright red, like a rata flower.

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Synonyms: matareka, riterite, manako, ōrite, pai, ānō, pīrangi, rata, rite, tairite, ānō nei, enanga, kei


3. (particle) in case ... may, were fortunate, to see whether, if it were not for.

(Te Pihinga Textbook (Ed. 2): 126-127;)

Haratua

1. (personal noun) twelfth lunar month of the Māori year - approximately equivalent to May.

Me tae mai ⁠koutou taonga whakataetae ki tēnei tari i mua i te 31 o ngā r⁠o Haratua 1990 (HM 1/1990:3). / Your competition masterpieces must reach this office before 31 May 1990.

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Synonyms: Maramarima, Mei, Hakiharatua


2. (noun) twelfth lunar month of the Māori year, May.

Ki taku titiro, i tīmata te Haratua i te 28 o ngā pō o Āperira, nā ko te Tahi o Pipiri ka tīmata i te 27 o ngā rā o Mei (TTT 1/6/1922:13). / According to my observation, the month of Haratua begins on the 28th night of April, and the month of Tahi o Pipiri begins on the 27 of May.

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me aha koa

1. be that as it may, nevertheless, what for? what does it matter? so what? anyway, no matter.

Ka kī ētahi he mea uaua tonu te ako i te reo Māori. Me aha koa. He aha te hē o te whakamātau? / Some say it's very difficult to learn Māori. Be that as it may, what's wrong with trying?

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Synonyms: anō, ahakoa, hei aha koa, he ahakoa, hei aha (koa/noa iho), aua atu (rā)

hei aha (koa/noa iho)

1. be that as it may, nevertheless, what for, what does it matter? so what? anyway, no matter - an idiom indicating that there is nothing to worry about or that there is no point in pursuing a particular activity.

Ai! I wareware i a au taku pukapuka. Hei aha koa. Kei a au tāku. / Heck! I've forgotten my book. It doesn't matter. I have mine.

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See also hei aha (noa iho)

Synonyms: anō, me aha koa, ahakoa, hei aha koa, he ahakoa, aua atu (rā)

me/mai/mei kore ake ...

1. in case ... may, were fortunate, to see whether, if it were not for, thanks to, it's just as well - an idiom praising the importance of someone's or something's contribution.

(Te Pihinga Textbook (Ed. 2): 126-127;)

Me kore ake koe hei whakaako mai i a mātou. / We were fortunate to have you to teach us.

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See also me kore ake, mei kore ake, me i kore, mai kore ake, me kore e


2. just like - this idiom can also be used to comment on the similarity of one person's talent to that of someone else.

Ira a Tarati e haka ana. Me kore ake te whaea. / Look at Dorothy performing. She's just like her mother.

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Synonyms: anō, me kore ake, mai kore ake, mei kore ake, tonu, rite tonu

raukeke

1. (verb) to act recklessly, imprudent, irresponsible, devil-may-care.

Me te mea e mōhio ana ngā minita kua tata tō rātou rangi, i tahuri ai ki ngā mahi tutū, raukeke noa, i te wā e whai mana ana anō rātou (TWMNT 9/11/1878:109). / It appears as if the ministers, knowing their tenure of office will be short, set about making mischief and acting recklessly while they have the power.

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me kore ake

1. in case...may, were fortunate, to see whether, if it were not for, thanks to, it's just as well - an idiom praising the importance of someone's or something's contribution.

He hui pai - i tutū te puehu, i whiua te kōrero, i tau te rangimārie i te mutunga iho. Me kore ake nei te hui Mâori, nē hā? (HM 4/1995:3). / It was a good gathering - there were arguments and accusations made but in the end peace prevailed. It's just as well Māori gatherings are like that, isn't it?
Me mihi rā ki ngā kapa o ngā tāone me kore ake hoki rātou i pēnei rawa ai te pukahu o ngā kapa tū ki Te Matatini. / We must acknowledge the urban groups without whom there would not be as many groups performing at Te Matatini.

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See also mei kore ake, mai kore ake


2. just like, similar to, the epitome of - sometimes used to indicate that someone's qualities are similar to those of someone else, or something else.

I kite au i a koe e pūkanakana ana. Me kore ake tō tipuna i a koe (HKK 1999:180). / I saw you doing the pūkana. You are the epitome of your ancestor.
Titiro ki tērā tangata e kai ana, me kore ake te poaka. / Look at that man over there eating just like a pig.

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See also mei kore ake, mai kore ake

Synonyms: anō, me/mai/mei kore ake ..., mai kore ake, mei kore ake, tonu, rite tonu, āhukahuka, kāhukahuka

mei kore ake

1. in case...may, were fortunate, to see whether, if it were not for, thanks to, it's just as well - an idiom praising the importance of someone's or something's contribution.

Mei kore ake koe hei tohutohu i a mātou. / We are fortunate to have you to advise us.

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See also me kore ake, mai kore ake


2. just like, similar to, the epitome of - sometimes used to indicate that someone's qualities are similar to those of someone else.

mo kori ake

1. in case...may, were fortunate, to see whether, if it were not for (variation of me i kore ake).

(Te Pihinga Textbook (Ed. 2): 126-127;)

turou hawaiki

1. greetings, may the force be with you, blessings upon you.

whakatutu

1. (verb) (-a) to place (something) so water may play into it.

Whakatutua te kāraha (W 1971:463). / Place the bowl so that water may run into it (W 1971:463).

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me kore e

1. in case ... may, in the hope that, were fortunate, to see whether, if it were not for - used before a verb to introduce a clause expressing a purpose where there is some doubt that it will be fulfilled.

(Te Pihinga Textbook (Ed. 2): 126-127;)

Haere ai ngā tūroro ki Rotorua, me kore ō rātou mate e ora. / Invalids go to Rotorua in the hope that their ailments will be cured.

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See also mai kore ake, me

me i kore

1. in case ... may, were fortunate, to see whether, if it were not for, thanks to, it's just as well.

Nā reira ka āta whakatahi te iwi me i kore te hoariri e whai atu ki te ururua o te ngahere i tua atu o te pā, kia haupapatia ai e Heke me ana toa (TTR 1990:7). / And so the people deliberately withdrew in the hope that the enemy might follow into the undergrowth of the bush on the other side of the pā, so that they could be ambushed by Heke and his warriors.

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[ngā] piki me [ngā] heke

1. ups and downs, come what may, triumphs and setbacks, successes and failures.

Ahakoa pā iho te aha ki a Rēweti, pā iho anō hoki ki a Keita, arā, te pāpouri, te harakoakoa, tae atu ki ngā piki me ngā heke o ōna rā (TTR 1996:69). / No matter what affected Rēweti, it also affected Keita, that is the sorrows and joys, and the triumphs and setbacks.

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aukati

1. (verb) (-a,-hia,-ngia) to dam a stream, prevent one from passing, block, obstruct, discriminate against - sometimes involves placing a notional boundary across which unauthorised movement is prohibited.

Nei te pōwhiri atu ki a koutou, kei pōkaku noa mai koutou e aukatihia noahia mai ana ki ēnei kura e toru nā rātou nei i te para te huarahi (HM 2/1999). / Here is the invitation to you all in case you are mistaken into thinking that you are being excluded from these three schools which paved the way.

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Synonyms: kōpeka, kōpekapeka, kati, taupā, taupare, , whakakōroiroi, whakapā, whakahōtaetae, ngihangiha, ārai, hōtaetae, pākati, tāiha, taipuru, ārei


2. (modifier) discriminatory, biased, unfair, exclusive.

Ka haere ngā mahi whakatutuki, whakawhānui a te kāwanatanga i ngā ture mō tā rātou kaupapa toko i te ora, tohua ake ana e Rangi ngā tikanga aukati i te Māori (TTR 1998:109). / As the government implemented its broader welfare legislation, Rangi drew attention to practices discriminatory to Māori.

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3. (modifier) restrictive.

He kī pono tēnei, mehemea e kore te iwi e pai ki tēnei mahi aukati, nā tō rātou kūare, nā tō rātou mōhio kore i pēnei ai rātou. Tēnā, kua tae rānei koe ki ēnā kāinga aukati? (KO 15/12/1886:8). / This is a fact that if the people are not amenable to this restrictive practice they are like this because of their ignorance and lack of knowledge. Well, have you been to those settlements where there is a restriction?

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4. (noun) border, boundary marking a prohibited area, roadblock, discrimination (justice), line over which one may not pass.

I tono atu ahau ki a koe kia hoki mai koe, otirā i whakatakoto koe i tētahi aukati i runga i te rohe i kīia e koe ko te rohe o tō takiwā, ā kāore ahau i āhei te haere atu ki tērā taha (TWMNT 27/3/1877:87). / I asked you to come back, but you placed an aukati over the area that you say is the boundary of your territory, and I was not allowed to cross over to that side.

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me/mai/mei kore (noa) (rā) e ...

1. in case ... may, in the hope that, were fortunate, to see whether, if it were not for, just in case, on the off chance - used before a verb to introduce a clause expressing a purpose where there is some doubt that it will be fulfilled.

Ko tā rātou mahi, he āta tiaki i ngā kākāpō i te ao, i te pō, mei kore noa rā e taea te whakaora ake tērā tino manu o Aotearoa (HKK 1999:200). / Their job was to carefully look after the kākāpō day and night, in the hope that that important bird of Aotearoa/New Zealand could be saved.
Kātahi ka whakatika ko ngā turupa Pākehā, ka ahu ki uta whaka-te-taha o ngā hiwi, mei kore e tūpono ki tētahi ope o te hoariri (TWMNT 21/10/1865:37). / Then the Pākehā troops set out, heading inland along the sides of the hills in the hope that they would encounter an enemy contingent.
Haere ki reira pātai haere ai me kore noa e tūpono kei reira kē tāu e kimi nei. / Go and ask over there on the off chance that what you are looking for is there.

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See also me kore e

Synonyms: kei tūpono, me kore noa e tūpono

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