tokomaha
1. (stative) be many, numerous, lots of, increased - when referring to people.
Kua tokomaha kē ngā Pākehā kua noho haere i ngā motu e rua nei (TTT 1/4/1922:6). / The number of Pākehā living in these two islands has increased.
See also maha
Synonyms: mahi, ngerongero, te mahi a te ..., ngero, wene, hia, takitini, nui, tuauriuri, tuarea, mahamaha, te hanga a te, tini, pio, maha, marea, maruru, makehua, rea, papata, makiu, rahi, huhua, hira
2. (noun) many people, a crowd, majority.
He tokomaha tonu ngā Māori kei te tāone e noho ana, nō reira hoki tētahi take i tika ai kia tū te mīhana ki reira (TP 7/1913:6). / There are quite a lot of Māori living in town, so that's a reason why it's appropriate that the mission be established there.
moe tokomaha
1. (verb) to practise polygamy - having more than one wife or husband.
Kāti e mau tonu ana taua tikanga i nāianei, mehemea ka moe tokomaha te tangata i te wāhine, e tāhae ana ia i ngā wāhine a ētahi atu tāngata (TPH 15/5/1905:4). / Well, that custom is still being practised now, and if a man has many wives he is stealing the wives of other men.
2. (noun) polygamy.
E kī ana a Paora Hopere ko te take i whakaaetia ai e te Atua te moe tokomaha i te wahine he torutoru nō ngā tāne he tokomaha rawa nō ngā wāhine (TP 6/1905:5). / Paora Hopere is saying that the reason that God agreed to polygamy is because there were few men and many more women.
