wero
1. (verb) (-hia,-ngia) to pierce, spear, challenge, stab, poke, jab, bite, puncture, sting (of an insect), inject.
Ko tētahi mea hē rawa, ko te raweke a ētahi o ā rāua tamariki i ngā kēne whurutu, arā, he mea wero ngā tini, kātahi ka unumia te wai, ka whakahokia ki runga i ngā whata (TTR 1996:60). / One problem was that some of their children would meddle with the cans of fruit, that is they would puncture the tins, drink the juice and put them back on the shelves.
2. (noun) piercing, stabbing, injection, spine (of a stingray).
E kīia ana ka mutu te wero ki te peneti ka hurihia ko ngā raparapa o ngā pū hei patu haere i te hoariri (TKO 8/1915:4). / It is said that when the stabbing with the bayonet ended the guns were reversed to kill the enemy with the butt of the gun.
Synonyms: kōtaratara, werowero, tīwharawhara, pākinakina
3. (noun) bite, sting (of an insect, etc.).
E te mate kei hea tōu wero? (PT I Koroniti 15:55). / O death, where is thy sting?
4. (noun) challenge.
Hei ētahi wā anō hoki kua kuhuna he kōrero hei whakakata i ngā kaiwhakarongo, engari, he wero anō kei roto i ngā kōrero (Rewi 2005:64). / And sometimes a story was added to make the listeners laugh, but there would be a challenge in the words.
5. (noun) challenge at a pōhiri.
Kei te haere te ruri, ka kōkiri a Nehe Te Wehi o Tūranga me te wero ki te Kuīni (TWK 19:31). / While the short song was being performed, Nehe Te Wehi darted forward with the challenge to the Queen.
pīkarikari
1. (verb) to prance about, quick shuffling steps in execution of the wero - a term used for the dramatic way the challenger advances on the marae with quick, abrupt, jumping movements and quick shuffling steps, doing the pūkana, whēterotero, making yelp-like noises and brandishing his taiaha or other long weapon.
Nō te haerenga o ngā reo whakatau o ngā kuia ka puta ōna tore kai huruhuru me ā rātou taiaha ki konā pīkarikari ai, whakapātaritari ai i te tira whakaeke (HM 2/1994). / When the elderly ladies' welcome calls went out the young warriors with their taiaha came forward to prance about and to challenge the approaching party.
Synonyms: hīteki, hītekiteki, pīkari
2. (noun) prancing about.
Ko te hunga mātakitaki kei te warea noa iho ki ngā pekepeke, ki ngā pīkarikari engari kāore ngā taringa i te āta whakarongo ki ngā kupu (HM 2/1994). / The audience are merely concerned with the jumping and prancing about but are not listening carefully to the words.
kaiwero
1. (noun) challenger - the man who does the wero during the pōhiri, the ritual of encounter.
Kātahi ka kōkiri te matua a Ngāti Raukawa. Ka motu mai ki te ara, ka haere te kaiwhakatakoto i te mānuka, i muri e whana atu ana te kaiwero - ko Kemene Piharau o Wairarapa (TWMNT 12/12/1872:150). / Then Ngāti Raukawa's army thrust forward. When they had moved some distance the man laying down the challenge stick went forward and after that the challenger, Kemene Piharau of Wairarapa, sprang forward.
ngangahu
1. (verb) to make a shrill high-pitched noise (in a haka or wero), dilate the eyes and perform exciting movements to inspire the performance group.
Ka takoto tana rākau, ka hoki whakamuri, ka tīmata ki te ngangahu, me te whiu tika i tana taiaha, me te hūpekepeke a ōna waewae (HP 1991:84). / His challenge stick lay there and he moved backwards and began to make high pitched yelps, to wield his taiaha and to jump up and down with bent legs.
See also manu ngangahu
2. (verb) to be sharply cut.
Ka titiro atu ngā tāngata ki te whakaairo o taua waka rā, anana, ngangahu kau ana te whakairo (W 1971:226). / When the people looked at the carving of that canoe, behold, it was sharply cut.
3. (verb) to be focussed, clear, in focus, clearly seen.
Ko te hua o te puare nui (waepuare iti), ka ngangahu ake ngā wāhanga katoa o te whakaahua (RTA 2014:80). / The effect of a large aperture (small f-stop number) is that all parts of the photograph are in focus.
4. (verb) to be distorted.
Ka kōrero ia, ehara, ngangahu kē ana te whakahuatanga mai o ngā kupu (NM 1928:35). / When he spoke, lo and behold, the pronunciation of the words was distorted.
5. (noun) prominence.
Ko te tūmanako mā ēnei kōrero e tīmata ngā whakatū, ngā ngangahu o te reo Māori i roto o ngā tau (TWK 14:18). / The desire is that by these accounts the Māori language will begin to have standing and prominence in the years ahead.
Synonyms: whakahirahira, hau, ahurei
