he momo (tonu)
1. true to form, it's a family trait, inherited quality, hereditary trait - this idiom highlights a person's character and inherited qualities or those of his/her ancestors. It can be applied to both good and bad traits.
Ka rawe kē te reo o Kiri! He momo tonu tērā nō tana whānau. / Kiri's voice is wonderful! That's a family trait.
2. (verb) to be good, efficient, simple, easy, excellent, suitable, agreeable, pleasant, handsome, good-looking.
He maha hoki ngā whare kua kitea e au he whare nunui, he pai a waho ki te titiro atu, ko roto ia he pai ke atu ngā wharepuni (TP 12/1906:3). / And there are many houses that I have seen that are large with nice exteriors to look at, but inside the sleeping houses are even better.
See also ka pai
Synonyms: waingōhia, māmā, kakato, rawe, rekareka, hāneanea, ngohengohe, manini, āhuareka, ātaahua, hūmārie, reka, āhumehume, pārekareka, hūmārire, harakoa, ngāwari, rēhia, hūmārika, matareka, purotu
3. (modifier) well, safe and sound - to indicate that something happens without any problems or mishaps.
He wahine i akona paitia, ā, he reorua anō hoki (TTR 1994:25). / She was a woman who was well-educated and bilingual.
E kī nei a Ngāti Raukawa kāhore rātou i panaia mai e Waikato me ētahi atu iwi i Maungatautari, i haere pai mai rātou (TWMNT 24/12/1872:158). / Ngāti Raukawa say that they were not driven out by Waikato and other tribes from Maungatautari, they came away on their own free will.
4. (noun) excellence, suitability, good looks, advantage, quality, standard, good.
He iwi hūmārire te Māori, he makoha, he aroha ki te pai (TTT 1/8/1930:2118). / The Māori are amiable people, placid and love that which is good.
tuawhiti
1. (verb) to be thick, fleshy, succulent, fat, of good quality, of substance.
Arā ētahi e kimi huarahi tonu ana e tuawhiti ake ai te reo e whāngaia atu ana e rātou ki ā rātou tamariki, ki ā rātou mokopuna (HJ 2012:6). / There are some looking for a way to improve the quality of the language they are feeding to their children and grandchildren.
2. (modifier) thick, fleshy, succulent, fat, of good quality.
Māu tonu e kite iho te rerekētanga o te "Koia kei a koe!" me te "E taku purapura tuawhiti, e taku kōwhatu turua..." engari e rua, e rua he whakamihi (HM 2/1994:7). / You yourself can see the difference between "Koia kei a koe!" (Good on you!) and "E taku purapura tuawhiti, e taku kōwhatu turua..." (My perfect flower, my prized stone) but they are both compliments.
2. (noun) excellence, good state, suitability, good looks, goodness, high quality.
I tino whakamihi a Te Taute ki a Ngāti Porou mō tō rātou kaha ki te whakapai i ō rātou whenua, ki te whakatupu hipi, mō te papai o ā rātou teihana hipi, o ā rātou wūruheti (TP 12/1907:11). / Mr Stout gave great praise to Ngāti Porou for their energy in improving their land, raising sheep and for the good state of their sheep stations and woolsheds.
kounga
1. (noun) quality, excellence, standard, aesthetically pleasing.
E whai ana kia piki ake te kounga o te reo Māori e kōrerotia ana, e tuhia ana, kia reo rangatira tonu ai (PK 2008:343). / Seeking that the quality of the Māori language being spoken and written improves so that it continues to be an esteemed language.
2. (modifier) unsuccessful, fruitless, unproductive, unfortunate.
He rangi pūhore tēnei, engari pea āpōpō te rangi waimarie (TJ 29/3/1900:7). / This was an unproductive day, but perhaps it will be a lucky day tomorrow.
3. (noun) scarcity, shortage, poverty, depression.
I te wā o te pūhore o te tekau tau atu i 1930, ka raru te mahi kaipakihi a te whānau (TTR 1996:33). / During the depression of the 1930s, the family business got into trouble.
Synonyms: pōwhara, tuakoka, whakapōhara, pōhara, hāhoretanga, hahoretanga, mūhore, kōpaka, ngōuruuru, rā o te waru, kōpaka
4. (noun) omen of non-success in hunting, fishing or fowling, ill luck.
Kīia ai ngā tohu kino i te tāhere manu he pūhore. Ko ētahi kupu kāore i huaina i te wā ka tāhere manu. Mā te whakatū pou tūā pā ka ora i te pūhore (Te Ara 2016). / Unlucky signs in snaring birds were known as pūhore. Certain words were banned when fowling. The remedy for pūhore was to set a tūā pā post in the ground.
iho
1. (noun) heart, essence, inside, inner core, kernel, pith of a tree, essential quality, nature.
Mō te whēwhē, whakamahia ana e ia te iho o te mamaku me tana hūare ka ūkuikuia atu hoki ki tana rīngi mārena (TTR 1998:60). / For boils, she used the pith of the mamaku fern and her spittle rubbed with her wedding ring.
Synonyms: uho
2. (noun) umbilical cord (middle portion).
Ko te tūhonotanga ki te whaea, ko te rauru tēnā; ko te pito e mau nei ki te tamaiti, ka kīia tēnā ko te pito; ko waenganui ko te iho tēnā (W 1971:75). / The attachment to the mother is the 'rauru'; the end fixed to the child is called the 'pito'; and in the middle is the 'iho'.
rawe
1. (verb) to be excellent, becoming, good, fine, pleasant, nice.
2. (modifier) excellent, becoming, good, fine, pleasant, nice.
He toa a Tama-āhua ki te mau rākau, taiaha, patu poto rānei; ā he tangata rawe ki te haka ia, he reo reka ki te waiata (JPS 1914:6). / Tama-āhua was an expert in the use of weapons, taiaha or short weapons, and he was an excellent haka dancer, with a sweet voice in singing.
3. (noun) excellence, fineness, quality.
Kāti, inā kē te nui o te mahi i kao i a ia me te rawe o tana tuhi (TTR 1996:136). / Well, she collected together a vast amount which was elegantly written.
2. (particle) those of, the ... of.
(Te Pihinga Textbook (Ed. 2): 126;)
He paruparu ake ngā hū o Māia i ō Terewai. / Māia's shoes are dirtier than those of Terewai.
3. (particle) Used in the ways listed in 1 and 2 above when the possessor has, or had, no control of the relationship or is subordinate, passive or inferior to what is possessed. Thus, in most contexts in a sentence, words for parts of anything, clothing, adornments associated with the body, things that originate in the body (feelings, ideas, knowledge, beliefs, sins, problems, luck, etc.), parts of the body, qualities, illnesses, transport, water, medicine, buildings, seating, bedding, land, towns, companions, superiors, relatives (not husband, wife, children, grandchildren), taniwha, atua, groups, organisations, tribes and government are likely to take the o category. This includes actions that are regarded as part of the nature of people or animals. O will follow kore and korenga. Derived nouns from statives and verbs will usually take the o category. Experience verbs are also likely to take the o category.
(Te Kākano Textbook (Ed. 2): 54-56, 140-141;)
See also o
o
1. (particle) of, belongs to, from, attached to - used when the possessor has, or had, no control of the relationship or is subordinant, passive or inferior to what is possessed. Thus, in most contexts in a sentence, words for parts of anything, clothing, adornments associated with the body, things that originate in the body (feelings, ideas, knowledge, beliefs, sins, problems, luck, etc.), parts of the body, qualities, illnesses, transport, water, medicine, buildings, seating, bedding, land, towns, companions, superiors, relatives (not husband, wife, children, grandchildren), taniwha, atua, groups, organisations, tribes and government are likely to take the o category. This includes actions that are regarded as part of the nature of people or animals. O will follow kore and korenga. Derived nouns from statives and verbs will usually take the o category. Experience verbs are also likely to take the o category.
(Te Kākano Textbook (Ed. 2): 52-56, 140-142; Te Kākano Study Guide (Ed. 1): 2, 16, 23, 33-34, 36; Te Pihinga Study Guide (Ed. 1): 9-10; Te Māhuri Textbook (Ed. 2): 178-179;)
Ko Taki te hoa o Mere. / Taki is Mere's friend.
Koia nā te paterotanga o te kurī. / That's the fart of a dog.
Heke ana ngā roimata o te kuia i te waiatatanga o te hīmene 'Piko nei te Mātenga' (HJ 2012:115). / The elderly woman's tears flowed when the hymn 'Piko nei te Mātenga' was sung.
I te korenga o tana matua i whakaae ki tana whaiāipo, ka eke a Te Miro ki runga i tō rātau waka ko 'Te Punga-i-Orohia' te ingoa, kātahi ka whakatotohu i a ia kia toremi (EM 2002:111). / Because her father did not agree to her lover, Te Miro climbed on their canoe, called 'Te Punga-i-Orohia', then drowned herself.
See also a
rangatira
1. (verb) to be of high rank, become of high rank, enobled, rich, well off, noble, esteemed, revered.
2. (modifier) high ranking, chiefly, noble, esteemed.
I heke mai i a Matakore rāua ko Wai-harapepe ētehi o ngā whānau rangatira o roto i ngā iwi o Tainui (NIT 1995:195). / Some of the chiefly families of the Tainui tribes descend from Matakore and Wai-harapepe.
Synonyms: metararahi
3. (noun) chief (male or female), chieftain, chieftainess, master, mistress, boss, supervisor, employer, landlord, owner, proprietor - qualities of a leader is a concern for the integrity and prosperity of the people, the land, the language and other cultural treasures (e.g. oratory and song poetry), and an aggressive and sustained response to outside forces that may threaten these.
Kei te whakamanamana a Rewi, ānō nei ko ia te rangatira (PK 2008:21). / Dave is strutting as if he is the chief.
Te rangatira, he kairanga i te tira: i te tira o te hapū, o te iwi, ki ngā haere, ki ngā mahi e pā ana ki te hapū, ki te iwi. He kaiārahi. He kaitīmata, he kaiwhakatutuki i ngā mahi, ka whai ai te iwi i raro. Ka kīia te tinana pēnei he 'rangatira' ko tēnei kāwai rangatira tonu tēnei, e manaakitia ai, e piki ai, e mana ai, ki roto ki tētahi iwi kē (TTT 1/5/1926:400-401). / The chief is a weaver of people: of both hapū and iwi and in their travels and endeavours concerning both the hapū and iwi. She is a leader. She is a starter and finisher of tasks and so the people follow her. She is said to be a chief because of her aristocratic lineage whereby she is hosted generously and her mana increases amongst other tribes.
Synonyms: māhita, kairēti, kaituku rīhi, ariki
rawa
1. (particle) indeed, really, exceedingly, exactly, so, very, quite, especially - a manner particle following immediately after the word it relates to to indicate extremeness or excessiveness. It may be used after all types of bases, but particularly with negatives, adjectives and verbs as described below. Where rawa follows a verb in the passive it will take a passive ending also, usually -tia. In this situation the passive ending may be dropped from the verb, but not from rawa.
(Te Kākano Textbook (Ed. 2): 120; Te Pihinga Textbook (Ed. 2): 44, 91-92;)
Hangaia rawatia he whare hou mōna (TTR 1996:134). / A new house was built especially for her.
Synonyms: koia, āhua, anō, tino, noa, tonu, kere, āta, hangehange, hengahenga, kāhua, (ko) tōna ... (nei), tou, noa iho, katoa, i neki, inā, ata, rā anō, rā pea, rānō, mārie, mārika, mārire, ia rā, koa, tinana, koia, koia, kē
2. (particle) eventually, finally, as soon as, by the time, only when, right up until - indicates a significant time lapse or effort and often follows verbs without verbal particles in subordinate clauses. Often followed by mai, atu, ake or iho.
(Te Kākano Textbook (Ed. 2): 113;)
Tae rawa atu ia, kua moe kē a Herewini. / When they eventually arrived Selwyn was already asleep.
4. (particle) too, overly, unduly - this usage indicates an unsatisfactory degree of a quality or attribute (either excessive or inadequate).
(Te Kākano Textbook (Ed. 2): 120; Te Pihinga Textbook (Ed. 2): 44;)
5. (particle) very, extremely, so, most - when preceded by an adjective and followed by atu it expresses the superlative.
(Te Kākano Textbook (Ed. 2): 120; Te Pihinga Textbook (Ed. 2): 44;)
6. (particle) all the way, completely, right to, right above - when following location words.
I kumea te waka ki uta rawa. / The canoe was dragged all the way up the beach.
7. (particle) until, till - following kia and a verb.
Me tatari koe kia tae rawa mai te pahi. / You had better wait until the bus arrives.
8. (particle) must, really had better - following me and a verb, it intensifies the meaning of the obligation.
Me hoki rawa mai koe ā mua o te weheruatanga o te pō. / You really had better return before midnight.
Synonyms: mātua, me, hōpurupuru
9. (particle) highest - when following runga.
I piki a Tāne ki te rangi o runga rawa. / Tāne climbed to the highest of the heavens.
-tanga
1. A suffix used to make verbs into nouns, sometimes called derived nouns, and the usual ending for verbs that take the passive ending -tia. These nouns usually mean the place or the time of the verb's action.
(Te Pihinga Textbook (Ed. 2): 88-89, 123-124;)
Koia rā te rā whakamaharatanga ki ngā hōia Māori i mate i ngā Pakanga ō Te Ao Tuatahi, Tuarua hoki. / That was the remembrance day for the soldiers who died in the First and Second World Wars.
2. It is also the derived noun ending when a base is used to modify another base.
(Te Pihinga Textbook (Ed. 2): 88-89;)
Koia nei rā te manaaki nui a Ngoi i a au i taku taenga tuatahitanga ki tana kāinga. / This was how hospitable Ngoi was to me the first time I arrived at her home.
3. It is also the suffix added to nouns to designate the quality derived from the base noun.
Ki a au nei he tohu tēnei kei te pūpuri au i taku Māoritanga. / In my opinion this is a sign that I am retaining my Māori identity.
te mutunga (kē) mai (nei) o te ...
1. the ultimate in, absolutely, the epitome of, the best, the worst - an idiom used to exclaim about the quality of something or someone, both good and bad.
(Te Pihinga Textbook (Ed. 2): 147;)
Ko te mutunga mai o te riko o tēnei rūma. / This room is filthy.
Kei reira ētahi whakaahua te mutunga kē mai nei o te ātaahua (HM 3/1998:7). / At that place there were some photographs that were extremely beautiful.
Taringa morimori? Āe, te mutunga kē mai! / Stubborn? Yes, with a vengeance!
Synonyms: ehara ehara, pū, anō, moruka, mārika, tahi, mōrukaruka, mārire, pohapoha, puru, piropiro, hāwerewere, rukaruka, mārie
tū-ā-
1. (particle) somewhat (used with adjectives to indicate a moderate degree of the quality expressed).
(Te Māhuri Study Guide (Ed. 1): 64;)
He tū-ā-kōwhewhero te tai o tōna kaka. / The colour of her dress is a fairly pale red.
See also tū-ā-ahiahi, tūā-, tū-ā-rite
tohi
1. (verb) (-a) to cut, divide, distribute, separate, endue.
Tohia ā tātou purapura kia ranea ai (W 1971:430). / Divide our tubers so that there are plenty.
Synonyms: nahenahe, kōwaewae, kōwae, tokorau, māhiti, roherohe, tauwehe, tauārai, toritori, momotu, motu, motuhake, wae, wehewehe, wehe, whakatāuke, whakawehewehe, tiriwā, īheuheu, tīwae, tūhāhā, heu, ihi, tuakoi, wawae, whakawehe, kōwai, whakapirara, tāuke, tāwae, tāwaewae, totohi, tūtahi
2. (verb) (-a) to perform a ritual ceremony over a child in flowing water while petitioning the atua to endow the child with the desired mental and physical qualities. The child was dedicated to the particular atua by immersion in the water or by sprinkling it with water from a branch dipped in the stream.
Ka whānau a Tūhuruhuru, tamaiti a Tinirau, ka tonoa a Kae i Tihi-o-Manono kia haere mai hei tohi i a Tūhuruhuru (JPS 1928:269). / When Tūhuruhuru, the child of Tinirau, was born, Kae was asked to come from Tihi-o-Manono to perform the baptismal rite over Tūhuruhuru.
3. (verb) (-a) to perform ceremonies success in battle.
Ka heke atu rāua ki te wairere, ka tohia e Te Aotaki a Tū-whakairi-ora (JPS 1911:20). / They descended together to the running stream, and Te Aotaki performed the tohi rite over Tū-whakairi-ora.
4. (verb) (-a) to boil with hot stones.
5. (noun) dedication rite, baptism rite, child dedication ritual - a ritual ceremony over a child in flowing water while petitioning the atua to endow the child with the desired mental and physical qualities. The child was dedicated to the particular atua by immersion in the water or by sprinkling it with water from a branch dipped in the stream.
Nā Te Toiroa tonu i tūā, ka tohia ki te tohi a Tūmatauenga, te atua o te riri, o te tangata hoki (TTR 1990:216). / Te Toiroa performed the naming ceremony over him, dedicating him to Tūmatauenga, atua of war and of humankind.
6. (noun) vessel in which cooking was done by placing heated stones in the water.
