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Phrases

Proverbs

Loan words

Historical loan words

toiere

1. (verb) to sing.

E hoe ana mai te waka, e toiere mai ana (W 1971:432). / The people in the canoe were paddling towards us and singing.

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Synonyms: kitā, tau, maire, tangi, pao, umere, whakakitā, korokī, korihi, puoro, waiata


2. (modifier) singing.

Nā tana mahi toiere i ngā waiata Māori i te aroaro tonu o ngā minenga ā-iwi me ngā tūruhi anō, ina koa i waia ai, i taunga ai hei kaiwaiata rauangi, kōtike hoki (TTR 1998:62). / Through her singing Māori songs in front of tribal audiences and tourists she gained confidence as a soprano.

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Synonyms: korokī, iere, hiere


3. (noun) paddle timing song.

Toiere: He waiata tuki waka, hei whakahauhau i ngā kaihoe (M 2007:160). / Paddle timing song: A song to give the timing and to encourage paddlers.

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tautitotito

1. (verb) (-a,-ngia) to sing songs in response to one another, reciprocate with songs, recite alternatively (verses or parts of a song).

Ko tēnei pātere, ko ngā pātere e rua e whai tata i muri iho i tēnei, he mea tautitotito i waenganui i a Titoko, o te Whakatōhea, i a te Waiu-rangi o Te Whānau-a-Apanui. He mea nui tera ki neherā, te tautitotito (M 2006:138). / This pātere, and the two which immediately follow on, were composed as competing verses between Titoko of te Whakatōhea and Te Waiu-rangi of Te Whānau-a-Apanui. It was an outstanding achievement in olden days to be able to compose competing verses.

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2. (verb) (-a,-ngia) to compose, make up, invent (stories).

Kei te J. 3/31 ētahi kōrero nā Hoani Nahe e rereke ana te kaupapa o te waiata nei me te tangata nāna i tautitotito (M 2004:164). / In J. 3/31 there are comments by Hoani Nahe that give a different origin for this song and the person who composed it.

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3. (noun) song-in-reply.

Ko tētahi tēnei o ngā waiata tautitotito a Tokoahu i tāia ki te pukapuka a Hōne Waiti W 5/98 (Māori) (M 2007:98). / This is one of the songs-in-reply published in John White's book W. 5/98 (Māori).

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iere

1. (noun) sound of voices, singing.

Kāhore hoki he waiata i ngā māra wāina, kāhore he iere harakoa (PT Ihaia 16:10). / And in the vineyards there shall be no singing, neither shall there be joyful voices.

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See also hiere

Synonyms: toiere, korokī, hiere

kamu

1. (verb) (-a) to join in singing a waiata.

Ko ētahi waiata mā te reo kotahi e hī mai, mā te katoa e kamu mai (PK 2008:105). / With some songs one voice leads and the rest join in singing the chorus sections.

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1. (verb) to sing (of birds).

Ka ngā kōpara o te ata (W 1971:121). / The bellbirds of the morning sing.

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Synonyms: kōrihirihi


2. (verb) to resound.

Ka ō rongo i runga Haumātao (W 1971:121). / Your fame resounds on Haumātao.

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korihi

1. (verb) to sing (of birds).

Ko ētahi e riri kau ana ki a au, e mea ana he poka noa taku kōrihirihi me taku noho noa ake ki te tuanui o taku whare korihi ai, ā, epa mai ana rātou i te kōwhatu kia tīnia au e te matuku kia rere atu ai au. (TPM 2/2/1863:1). / Some are angry at me, saying that my singing and my perching on the roof of my house to sing is unauthorised and they are throwing stones at me so that I will be overcome by fear and fly away.

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Synonyms: kitā, tau, maire, tangi, pao, toiere, whakakitā, korokī, puoro, waiata, umere


2. (noun) singing (of birds).

Kāore au i te kōingo ki ngā tāone, ki te pōwaiwai o te tāngata, ki te haruru, ki te tatangi, ki te hoihoi. Kāti anō taku hoihoi ko te korihi a ngā manu, ko te pupuhi a te hau, ko te haruru o te tai, ko te hiere a te tamariki (TTT 1/8/1926:444). / I don't yearn for the towns, for the hustle and bustle of people, the rumble, clatter and noise. I'm fine with the noise of the birds singing, the wind blowing, the roar of the sea and the sound of children.

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Synonyms: kōrihirihi


3. (noun) chorus, refrain.

He momo te waiata arotini ka takea mai i te puoro rakapioi i te ngahuru tau o te 1950. He maha ngā āhuatanga o te waiata arotini, engari ko ngā mea matua, ko tōna poto (te takiwā o te 2 ki te 5 meneti noa iho), ko tōna hanga (pērā i te whai o te korihi i ia whiti), me te rangi, he rangi māmā te hopu (RTP 2015:120). / Pop songs are a genre that derives from rock and roll music of the 1950s. There are many elements of the pop song, but the main thing is that it's short (in the vicinity of just 2 to 5 minutes), its form (such as a chorus follows each verse), and the tune, which is easy to catch.

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korokī

1. (verb) to speak, talk, tell, sing (of birds).

Kei te whakamoemiti atu te manu meroiti nei ki ētahi o ana kaitautoko e whiu mai nei i ngā hua kāramuramu hei oranga mōna kia kaha ai tana korokī i runga i tōna pae (KO 15/5/1885:4). / This small bird is thanking some of its sponsers who have tossed some karamū berries as sustenance so that its call on its perch will be loud.

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Synonyms: maire, tangi, pao, umere, toiere, korihi, puoro, waiata, whakakitā, kitā, tau


2. (modifier) singing, speaking.

Ko ia hoki tētahi o ngā waha korokī, tētahi o ngā kaihautū o te kīngitanga (HKW 1/5/1902:2). / He was also one of the spokesmen, one of the leaders of the kingdom.

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Synonyms: toiere, iere, hiere


3. (noun) singing, speaking, talking.

Kei te whakamoemiti atu te manu meroiti nei ki ētahi o ana kaitautoko e whiu mai nei i ngā hua kāramuramu hei oranga mōna kia kaha ai tana korokī i runga i tōna pae (KO 15/5/1885:4) / This little bird is thanking its supporters who are tossing karamū berries as sustenance for it so that its singing on its perch is loud.

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pākuru

1. (verb) (-a) to knock, make a knocking noise, sing a chant sung to an accompaniment played on two sticks.

(Te Māhuri Textbook (Ed. 2): 166;)

Ka pākurua e te tākuta tana pona, ehara, korowhiti mai ana (PK 2008:578). / The doctor tapped her knee, and low and behold it gave a sudden jerk.

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Synonyms: pātōtō, patō, pātuki, pātukituki, taitai, hūtuki, tūtuki, tarawete


2. (noun) striking (of an instrument).

Ka puta tōna reo mā te katokato i te au, mā te raraku, mā te pākuru rānei ki tētahi rākau iti (RTP 2015:47). / Its voice emerges by plucking the string, by strumming, or by striking it with a small stick.

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3. (noun) mouth resonator - a resonant rod held between the teeth at one end while the other is tapped rhythmically with another rod. The mouth is used as a resonator.

Nā, ka tae te mahi, he kū, he pākuru, he tō, he pūtōrino, he kōauau, he tōrehe, he tī papaki ringa, he porotiti, he kaupeka - kāore a Kae i kata (JPS 1928:270). / So they tried playing kū, pākuru, tō, pūtōrino, kōauau, tōrehe, hand-clapping, porotiti, and kaupeka - but Kae did not laugh.

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4. (noun) stone hammer.

Ka orohia te pounamu hei matau, hei pākuru, hei tara tao (Te Ara 2013). / The greenstone was ground and made into fish hooks, hammer stones and points for spears.

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pao

1. (verb) (-a) to sing.

E pao haere ana te iwi (W 1971:258). / The people are singing as they go.

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Synonyms: toiere, kitā, tau, maire, tangi, umere, whakakitā, korokī, korihi, puoro, waiata


2. (noun) popular song, ditty, short impromptu topical song to entertain.

Kāore hoki rā i tika ngā pao whaiāipo nei hai hīmene ki tōna atua (TP 9/1903:6). / And love ditties are not appropriate as hymns to his god.

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puoro

1. (verb) to sing.

Kua whaikōrero a Tame, he korokoro tūī, engari kia puoro, e tama, kua reo poraka tonu atu! (PK 2008:714). / When Tom gives a speech he is like the throat of a tūī, but when he sings, heavens, he has the voice of a frog!

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Synonyms: toiere, kitā, tau, maire, tangi, pao, umere, whakakitā, korokī, korihi, waiata


2. (noun) song, music, musical instrument.

(Te Māhuri Textbook (Ed. 2): 162-171; Te Māhuri Audio Tapes/CDs (Ed. 2): exercise 23;)

Noho rite ana te momo puoro o te waiata nei ki te pūoru o Hawai‘i, ā, ko ngā taputapu whakatangitangi ko te kitā, ko te ukurere me tētahi kitā pona maitai atu hoki (TTR 2000:96). / The music style of this song was music of Hawai‘i, and instruments included the guitar, ukulele and lap-steel guitar.

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Synonyms: pūoru, taonga whakatangitangi, taonga puoro, whakatangi

rōreka

1. (verb) to be sweet, melodious, tuneful.

Ka rōreka te matū o ana waiata ki te ngao o te hinengaro (TTR 1990:55). / The substance of her songs blended the sweet melody with the exposition of ideas.

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2. (modifier) sweet, melodious.

Ko Kelly Koroheke o Ngāti Maniapoto, kuia rōreka, kuia tino ngahau, kuia arohaina nuitia e te katoa o te hunga i tae mai ki te kura o te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori i tū ki te marae o Kirikiriroa (HM 2/1994:2). / Kelly Koroheke of Ngāti Maniapoto was a sweet singing and very entertaining elderly woman who was loved by all the people that came to the Māori Language Commission's educational gatherings held at the Kirikiriroa marae.

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Synonyms: waitī, wainene


3. (noun) sweet singing, sweet music, sweet sound.

Ka moe ngā kanohi, ka hī ngā pewa, ka tau ngā pane, ka whakatau te reo katoa i te rōreka e whakahaua rā e te waiata (M 2006:42). / The eyes close, the eyebrows are raised, the heads are bowed and they all join in sweet music as directed by the song.

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tau

1. (verb) (-a) to sing, bark (of a dog).

Ka rongo te kurī rā i te haunga whenua, kātahi ka tau te kurī nei (NM 1928:102). / When that dog smelled the land, it barked.

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Synonyms: toiere, kitā, maire, tangi, pao, umere, whakakitā, korokī, korihi, puoro, waiata


2. (noun) song, chant at the beginning of a speech.

Ka tau te tini o te Hakuturi i tana tau anō (NM 1928:47). / The multitude of the Hakuturi sang his song again.

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waiata

1. (verb) (-hia,-tia) to sing.

Koia nei te moana e waiatatia nei, e pāteretia nei e ngā tini iwi o Aotearoa (TWK 8:12). / This is the ocean about which the many tribes of New Zealand sing and chant.

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Synonyms: toiere, kitā, tau, maire, tangi, pao, umere, whakakitā, korokī, korihi, puoro


2. (noun) song, chant, psalm.

(Te Kākano Audio Tapes/CDs (Ed. 2): 54-76; Te Kōhure Video Tapes (Ed. 1): 2;)

Nō te tau 1931 i mauria ake e Materoa he kapa waiata nei ki Te Whanganui-a-Tara, ā, e 40 ā rātau waiata mā Āpirana i hopukina e te mīhini hopu reo (TTR 1998:160). / In 1931 Materoa took a singing group to Wellington and 40 songs were recorded for Āpirana.

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See also whaikōrero

Synonyms: hīmene

whakakitā

1. (verb) to make chirp, sing, stridulate.

hūhunu

1. (verb) (-a,-tia) to scout, reconnoitre.

I te wā i a rātau e hūhunu haere ana, e whawhai kē ana rānei, whakahautia ana e ia āna tāngata kia kōrero Māori, uhingaro Māori rānei, kia kore ai e mōhio te hoariri e whakarongo ana, e aha ana rātau (TTR 2000:10). / While they were doing reconnaissance or in battle, he ordered his men to speak Māori, or in Māori code, so that the enemy eavesdropping would not know what they were doing.

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Synonyms: ārohi, hunuhunu, toro, torotoro, pūrahorua, tāpae, tūtai, tūtei


2. (verb) (-a,-tia) to singe, char, scorch, barbecue.

Ka hūhunutia te poaka, kātahi ka waruwarua te kiri kia ngahoro mai ai ngā huruhuru (PK 2008:147). / The pig is singed and then the skin is scraped to remove the hair.

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Synonyms: hunuhunu


3. (noun) barbecue.

Synonyms: rorerore


4. (noun) reconnaissance, scouting.

He hūhunu nei tā rātau mahi i te hoariri (TTR 2000:19). / Their task was reconnaissance of the enemy.

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hiere

1. (noun) sound of voices, singing.

Kāore au i te kōingo ki ngā tāone, ki te pōwaiwai o te tāngata, ki te haruru, ki te tatangi, ki te hoihoi. Kāti anō taku hoihoi ko te korihi a ngā manu, ko te pupuhi a te hau, ko te haruru o te tai, ko te hiere a te tamariki (TTT 1-8-1926:444). / I don't yearn for the towns, for the hustle and bustle of people, the rumble, clatter and noise. I'm fine with the noise of the birds singing, the wind blowing, the roar of the sea and the sound of children.

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Synonyms: toiere, korokī, iere

tangi

1. (verb) (-hia) to cry, mourn, weep, weep over.

Kua rangona atu te tai o uta, kua tangihia ā-wairuatia atu e rātou ngā pae maunga o te whenua (JPS 1957:230). / When they heard the surf on shore, they cried in their minds over the mountain ranges of the land.

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Synonyms: takuate, tangitangi, tauā, rohi, muri, rāhiri, taurere, huamo


2. (verb) (-hia) to sing, make a sound.

He manu te kōmako; ka tangi ana i te awatea, ka tangi tētahi i konei, ka tangi tētahi i korā; nā, i te pō ka tangi ko tētahi anake, ka kīia ko tērā te toa (JPS 1956:201). / The bellbird is a bird which, when it sings in the daytime one will sing here another from somewhere else; and, when one sings alone in the night, that is said to be the male bird.

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Synonyms: tangitangi, waiata, toiere, kitā, tau, maire, pao, umere, whakakitā, korokī, korihi, puoro


3. (verb) (-hia) to ring (of a bell), chime.

Kaua hei takaware te haere mai ki te karakia ina tangi mai te pere (TTT 1/2/1928:725). / When the bell rings do not delay coming to the church service.

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Synonyms: rīngi, tarawhiti, waea, koropewapewa, tioro, mōhiti, mōwhiti, koropewa, pere, porohita, porowhita


4. (noun) sound, intonation, mourning, grief, sorrow, weeping, lament, salute, wave.

(Te Pihinga Textbook (Ed. 2): 94-95;)

Ka rongo ngā hōia i roto i te pā i te tangi o te piukara, ka pikipiki ki runga ki ngā tāepa o te pā (TPH 7/7/1905:5). / When the soldiers in the fort heard the sound of the bugle they climbed onto the palisades of the fort.

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Synonyms: oha, tangitangi, taurangi, taukuri, waiata tangi, apakura, pihe, rurutu, taurere, mihi, uhunga, matatangitangi, keka, mōteatea, rutu, tūkeka, takuate


5. (noun) pitch (music).

Ko te tangi tētahi o ngā āhuatanga puoro matua, arā, ko te kaha tīkā, te kaha mārū rānei o tētahi oro (RTP 2015:99). / Pitch is one of the main elements of music, namely the degree of highness or lowness of a note (RTP 2015:99).

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6. (noun) rites for the dead, funeral - shortened form of tangihanga.

Kei roto i ngā tangi ngā tikanga tuku iho, kāre anō kia rerekē ahakoa te whakaaweawe a te Pākehā (Te Ara 2013). / Traditional practices are maintained in tangi, which have changed little despite Pākehā influence.

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See also tangihanga

Synonyms: tangihanga

reo waiata

1. (noun) singing voice.

He kaha kē nei tana reo waiata (TTR 2000:195). / He had a strong singing voice.

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2. (noun) vocalist, singer.

He korokoro tūī te reo waiata o taua rōpū (RTP 2015:96). / The vocalist of that group has a melodious voice.

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Synonyms: kaiwaiata

hunuhunu

1. (verb) (-a,-tia) to singe, scorch, char, grill, plunder, pillage, maltreat.

I Ingarangi kotahi te wahine haurangi i hunuhunu i tana tamaiti ake, ka mate (KO 15/10/1884:9). / In England a drunk woman scorched her own child who died.

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Synonyms: hūhunu, marure, tūkino, pārure, maukino, tunuhuruhuru, pāhua, pāhuahua, rurerure, mūrei, muru, kōhunu, hone, whakarekereke, romi


2. (verb) to scout, reconnoitre.

Te kitenga atu i a Te Arawa e haere mai ana, kātahi ka tukua ētahi o rātou hei hunuhunu (TWM 28/5/1864:2). / When they saw Te Arawa coming, some of them were sent to reconnoitre.

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Synonyms: hūhunu, toro, pūrahorua, tāpae, tūtai, tūtei, torotoro, ārohi


3. (noun) decoy.

He taniwha a Hotupuku i noho ki te mānia o Kaingaroa. Nāwai, ka tukuna ētahi hunuhunu ki te whakapātaritari i a ia (Te Ara 2014). / Hotupuku was a taniwha that lived on the Kāingaroa Plains. After a time, some decoys were sent to provoke it.

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wheko

1. (verb) to warble, sing, chirp (as a bird).

Ngā manu e wheko i raro o Rangiahua (M 2005:428). / The birds singing below Rangiahua.

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