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Proverbs

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Historical loan words

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Idioms

Phrases

Proverbs

Loan words

Historical loan words

(ko) wai ka hua, (ko) wai ka tohu

1. who can know, who can say - an idiom to imply that it is nigh impossible to know.

Ka mao mai anō ātahirā? Wai ka hua, wai ka tohu? / Will it be fine again the day after next? Who can say?

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See also wai ka hua, wai ka tohu

nā wai [hoki] tāu

1. where did you get that idea from? who told you that? what a lot of rot!, balderdash, says who?.

(Te Kōhure Textbook (Ed. 2): 43;)

Nā wai hoki tāu i te mea ko te mutunga kē mai o te rūkahu, kia mōhio mai nei koe. / Who'd you get that from because, let me tell you, when it comes to lying they really take the cake.

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Synonyms: nā wai tāu?

hei aha (atu) mā wai?

1. who cares? - an idiom to suggest that the listener should take no notice of what someone else has said or done because it is of no value.

Ka mea mai ki a au, "Hai aha mā wai? Kia tere tonu tō rere ki roto i te awa." (HP 1991:20). / He said to me, "Who cares? Hurry up and get into the water."
Pare: Kāore au e pīrangi tū ki te kōrero, kei kitea taku kūware. Rangi: Hei aha atu mā wai? Nōu tēnei marae - e tū koe! (HKK 1999:77). / Pare: I don't want to stand to speak, in case my ignorance is seen. Rangi: Who cares? This marae belongs to you - you stand!

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See also hei aha (noa iho)

kaihaumi

1. (verb) to trespass, poach.


2. (noun) trespasser, poacher, person who wanders over lands of other people where he has no rights and hunts there.

Kaihaumi: Mō te tangata kūrapa ki ngā whenua o rau o iwi, ka mahi i ngā kai o reira, manu aha (M 2004:106). / Trespasser: An expression applied to a person who trespasses over the lands of other people, where he takes birds, etc.

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kaihautū

1. (noun) person who gives the time for the paddlers in a canoe, fugleman.

I te tau 1886, e ai tā te kōrero, i mua tata atu o te pakarutanga o Tarawera, ka kitea he waka taua e hoe ana i roto o Tarawera Moana, e hautū ana ngā kaihautū, e ngū ana ngā kaihoe (TP 1/1/1901:7). / According to accounts, in 1886, just before the Tarawera eruption, a war canoe was seen paddling on Lake Tarawera. The leaders were calling the timing and the paddlers were silent.

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2. (noun) leader, presenter, producer.

Ki tā ngā kaiarotake, e whakaari ana tēnei i tā Te Taura Whiri rauhī i te reo Māori, me tana tū hei kaihautū i roto i ngā mahi whakaora ake i tēnei taonga a tātou (HM 1/1999:4). / According to the evaluators, this reflects Te Taura Whiri's care of the Māori language and its standing as a leader in the revival of this treasure of ours.

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Synonyms: kaiwhakatakoto, kaikawe kōrero, kaiwhakaputa, tumu whakaputa, kaihanga, pouwhenua, kaiwhakataki, wheao, tumuaki, tumu whakarae, kaiarataki, kaikākāriki, ngārahu, tētēkura, uru, kaitakitaki, kaingārahu, manu taupua, kaiwhakanekeneke, tātāriki, amokapua, amokura, ariki, ihorei, kahika, tātarariki, poutoko, whakataka, amorangi, hautū, manukura, kaitaki, kaitātaki, kaiārahi, kākākura

kairāmua

1. (noun) someone who abuses a rāhui.

Ko te kairāmua he kaupapa patu i te mana o te rāhui. /

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See also rāhui

kaitātari

1. (noun) one who sifts through data, etc., editor, analyst.

Ko ia anō hoki te kaitātari i ngā kōrero o tāwāhi i roto i ngā nūpepa Pākehā, hei whakamāoritanga kia pai ai te whakauru atu ki ngā nūpepa Māori (TTR 1994:67). / She also decided which items of foreign news from English-language newspapers should be translated and included in the Māori newspapers.

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kaiwhakarārangi

1. (noun) one who arranges things in line or in order.

[ko wai] atu hoki

1. who else? - this idiom indicates that the answer to the question is obvious.

Mā wai tā tātou manuhiri e whakatau? Mā wai atu hoki? Mā Te Wharehuia. / Who will welcome our visitors? Who else but Wharehuia.

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See also mā wai atu hoki?

ko wai (hoki) [koe]?

1. who the hell are you? - an idiom questioning someone's right of involvement or opinion.

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

Ko wai hoki ia ki te whakahē mai i aku tuhinga? / Who the hell is she to criticise my writing?

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māna

1. for him/her - used in this way when the possessor will have control of the relationship or is dominant, active or superior to what is possessed.

(Te Kākano Textbook (Ed. 2): 54-56, 140-141;)

He merengi tēnei māna. / This is a melon for her.

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See also māhana


2. he/she will.

(Te Kākano Textbook (Ed. 2): 65;)

Māna tō nama e utu. / She will pay off your debt.

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3. who will - used in relative clauses for the future.

(Te Māhuri Textbook (Ed. 2): 97-99;)

Ko wai ngā kāmura māna e hanga tō tāua whare? / Who are the carpenters who will build our house?

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mā wai atu hoki?

1. who else will?.

1. (particle) there (by the listener) - used after nouns, location words, pronouns and personal names to indicate position or connection with the listener or the principal character in a narrative. Like the other two locative particles, nei and , it follows manner particles (i.e. kau, kē, noa, rawa and tonu) and directional particles (i.e. mai, atu, iho and ake) in the phrase if they are present.

(Te Kākano Textbook (Ed. 2): 44;)

He tūtaeruru te ngārara . / That insect is a grass grub.

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2. (particle) Used to refer to something just said by the listener or the speaker.

I mua o te taenga mai o tēnei ope kua hoki mai anō a Rongo ki tētehi o ōna pā, ko Motu-wheteke te ingoa. Koia nā te pā i whawhaitia ai a Rongo (JPS 1911:104). / Before this war party arrived Rongo and his people had returned to one of his other pā, named Motu-wheteke. It was in this pā where Rongo was attacked.

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3. (particle) Used following possessive determiners to imply that the thing possessed is a little distance away, associated with the listener, or simply for emphasis.

(Te Kākano Textbook (Ed. 2): 85-86;)

Whakarāpopototia ēnei kōrero ki āu ake nā kupu. / Summarise this story in your own words.

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4. (particle) who, that, which - when used in dependent clauses to refer to something or someone just mentioned or mentioned by, or associated with, the person being spoken to.

(Te Kākano Textbook (Ed. 2): 120;)

Ko tēnā te kākahu i whatua e koe. / That is the cloak that you wove.

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5. (particle) Used following koe, kōrua, koutou when giving opinions, etc.

Ki a koe nā, me pōti au mō tēhea rōpū tōrangapū? / In your opinion, which political party should I vote for?
Ki a kōrua nā, he pai tonu hoki tēnei ture, nē rā? / In your opinion, this law is quite alright, isn't it?

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6. (particle) Sometimes used in close association with the same locative particle, or another, for emphasis e.g. nei nā.

I te kitenga atu o ngā koroua, o ngā kuia i te kaipuke o Kāpene Kuki, ka karanga, "He motu, he motu rere mai nō tawhiti ina e tere mai nei nā." (RK 1994:46). / When the elderly men and women saw Captain Cook's ship they called, "It's an island, it's an island sailing here from afar, it's sailing right here."

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7. Used as a suffix in the words such as tēnā, ēnā, pēnā, konā, anā and koinā.

nā wai tāu?

1. who told you that? what a lot of rot! balderdash!.

(Te Kōhure Textbook (Ed. 2): 133;)

nei

1. (particle) here - used after nouns, location words, pronouns and personal names to indicate position or connection with the speaker or the principal character in a narrative. Like the other two locative particles, and , it follows manner particles (i.e. kau, kē, noa, rawa and tonu) and directional particles (i.e. mai, atu, iho and ake) in the phrase if they are present.

(Te Kākano Textbook (Ed. 2): 44;)

Haria atu te toki nei ki kō! / Take this axe over there, please!

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See also neki


2. (particle) Also used to imply nearness to the present time, or a time or event just referred to.

Ka whakawhiti rāua ki Te Ika-a-Māui i te rā nei. / They cross to the North Island today.
I karangahia tēnei ko Te Heke Hauhaua, ā, ko Te Kāeaea tonu tētahi o ngā rangatira. Koia nei pea te wā i hoki ai a ia ki Te Wairarapa (TTR 1990:202). / This was called Te Heke Hauhaua and Te Kaeaea was one of the leaders. This was probably the time that he returned to Wairarapa.

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3. (particle) who, that, which - when used in dependent clauses to refer to something or someone just mentioned.

(Te Kākano Textbook (Ed. 2): 120;)

Ko Hōri te tangata e tū atu nei. / The man who is standing here is George.

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4. (particle) Used following au, māua, mātou when giving opinions, etc.

(Te Kākano Textbook (Ed. 2): 85-86;)

Ki a au nei, kāore a Nāhinara e rata ana ki te iwi Māori. / In my opinion, the National Party isn't kindly disposed towards the Māori people.

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5. (particle) Used following possessive determiners to imply that the thing possessed is nearby, or for emphasis.

(Te Kākano Textbook (Ed. 2): 85-86;)

Ki ōku nei whakaaro, kāore he take o tēnei Kāwanatanga. / In my opinion this Government is useless.

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6. (particle) Also used as a suffix in words such as tēnei, ēnei, pēnei, anei and koinei.

See also koinei, konei, ēnei, pēnei, tēnei


7. (particle) Used before koa and to introduce explanatory sentences.

Ka haere mātou ko aua tupua ki roto ki te awa o Whitianga, nei koa, he tokotoko i te ringaringa o ētahi o rātou mau haere ai (TAH 52:45). / Then we and those foreigners went up the Whitianga River. Now some of them carried rods in their hands

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See also nei koa, nei rā


8. (particle) here - often starts a sentence.

Nei ka noho, ka noho, ka mahuki ake a whakaaro tērā pea ka whai hua tonu te wero atu ki te pātai, "He aha ia tēnei mea, te mātauranga Māori?" (HM 1/1998:2) / Here I sit and sit, and thoughts spring to mind that perhaps there is value in challenging with the question, "Just what is this thing Māori knowledge?"

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9. (particle) on and on - used to indicate a long duration when the phrase with nei is repeated.

Ka mea atu tērā, "Waiho rā kia toru hoki ngā pō e rere ai, ā, ka kore e kitea te whenua, ka hoki ai tātou." Ka whakaae mai ngā hoa. I rere nei, rere nei. Kua tata ki te whenua (MM.TKM 1/11/1855:9). / That one said, "Let us wait and sail for three more nights and if we not don't find land we will return." The companions agreed. So they sailed on and on. Then they were near land.

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Synonyms: haere ake nei, mau ake nei, āke, ake, ake

pārera maunu

1. (noun) a moulting grey duck, someone who can't swim.

He pārera maunu ki te kau i te moana (TW 16/9/1876:341). / Like a moulting duck swimming in the ocean [i.e. out of one's depth].

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1. (particle) over there, there, yonder - used after nouns, location words, pronouns and personal names to indicate position or connection not near or connected with the speaker or listener or the principal characters in a narrative. It may indicate a spacial distance, or a distance in past or future time as discussed below. Like the other two locative particles, and nei, it follows manner particles (i.e. kau, kē, noa, rawa and tonu) and directional particles (i.e. mai, atu, iho and ake) in the phrase, if they are present.

(Te Kākano Textbook (Ed. 2): 44;)

Kātahi anō te tangata ka puta mai. / The man over there has just appeared.

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See also raka, rārā

Synonyms: korā,


2. (particle) Used to imply distance from the present time, either in the past or future.

Ka mahi rātou i runga anō i ngā tikanga o mua rā. / They worked in accordance with the customs of earlier times.
Tēnei ka rongo au kua whakaae a Tā Hōri Kerei kia tū tēnei Pire i tēnei tau anō, engari hei tērā tau rā anō whakatūturutia ai hei Ture (TWMNT 2/11/1875:260). / I heard that Sir George Grey has agreed that this Bill should be passed this year, but that its final passing into law should be next year.

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3. (particle) that, which, who - when used in relative clauses after the verb. The verb will be preceded by i or e.

(Te Kākano Textbook (Ed. 2): 120;)

Kei te tika tonu ngā kōrero mō ngā tohorā i ārahi atu i te waka, i a Tākitimu. / The narratives about the whales that guided the Tākitimu canoe there are quite correct.

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4. (particle) I wonder - an intensifier especially used with questions.

Ka pēhea ā rātou kōrero mōku? / I wonder what they will say about me?

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5. (particle) Sometimes used in close association with the same locative particle, or another, for emphasis e.g. rā rā.

Mutu rawa tōna waiata, ka whakatarunatia kia titiro te iwi nei ki te moana, ka karanga, “Ka puta rā rā! Ka puta rā rā!” (M 2004:160). / After singing her song, she enticed the people to look towards the sea, calling out, “There it goes! There it goes!”

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6. (particle) Used as an intensive in greetings and requests.

Haere ! / Goodbye!

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7. (particle) Used as a suffix in the words such as tērā, ērā, pērā, korā, arā and koirā.

See also koirā, korā, pērā, ērā, tērā

rerenga

1. (noun) place or time of leaping, running, fleeing, withdrawal.

Ko te rerenga tērā o ngā iwi o Te Wairarapa ki te raki, i runga i te whakapono ka noho ora rātou i reira (TTR 1990:225). / The Wairarapa tribes then withdrew to the north in the belief that they would be safe there.

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2. (noun) voyage, journey, sailing, flight, trip.

Ko te utu mō te rerenga kotahi o te tima nei e £2.00 (TTT 1/10/1924:115). / The price for a single voyage of this ship is £2.00.

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Synonyms: whakarērere, hīkoi, whīkoi, tūria, haere, haerenga


3. (noun) flowing.

Nui atu i te iwa tekau māero te whānui o te ngutuawa, o taua awa; ka wai māori tonu atu te moana i te wai o taua awa, tae noa atu ki te kotahi rau e rua tekau māero te roa o te rerenga o te wai māori ki waho ki te moana (TWMNT 18/4/1876:90). / The width of that river mouth is more than ninety miles. The sea is of fresh water because that river flows with fresh water right out to one hundred and twenty miles distance out into the ocean.

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4. (noun) setting, rising (of the sun, etc.).

Ka tata au ki te rerenga o te rā, ki te tōnga o te rā (TPH 15/7/1900:4). / I am approaching the setting of the sun.

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Synonyms: takiwā, tautanga, whakanoho, whakanohonoho


5. (noun) person who has escaped, fugitive, survivor, refugee, sentence (language).

I taua wā e awhitia ana Te Aitanga-a-Hauiti i Te Pourewa e Te Whānau-a-Ruataupare o Tokomaru me wētahi o ngā rerenga o Ngāti Porou (TTR 1990:16). / At that time Te Whānau-a-Ruataupare of Tokomaru Bay and some fugitives of Ngāti Porou were besieging Te Aitanga-a-Hauiti at Te Pourewa.

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Synonyms: konene


6. (noun) offshoots of a family, distant relatives.

Nō te 15 ka mate a Meiha Keepa, tīmata i taua rā tae noa ki te 18 ko Whanganui anake e whakaeke ana ki te tangi. I te 19 ko Ngā Rauru e 90 me ngā rerenga, awatea ake ko Ngāti Apa e 30 me ngā rerenga, awatea ake ko Rangitāne, ko Muaupoko e 80 me ngā rerenga, i te ahiahi ko Ngāti Raukawa e 60 me ōna rerenga (TJ 10/5/1898:5). / On the 15th Major Kemp died and from that day until the 18th it was only Whanganui that attended the tangi. On the 19th it was 90 of Ngā Rauru and their relatives and next day there were 30 of Ngāti Apa and their relatives, next day were 80 Rangitāne and Muaupoko and their relatives and in the afternoon it was 60 Ngāti Raukawa with their relatives.

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7. (noun) planting (of kūmara, etc.).

He tika titiro ai ngā tūpuna ki ngā pō tika hei rerenga mō te kūmara, hei ngā pō kore ua nō te mea ki te rokohanga te kōpura kūmara e te ua ka mate (TKO 11/1920:4). / It's right that the ancestors considered what were the correct nights for planting kūmara and nights when there was no rain, because if it rained the kūmara tubers would die.

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Synonyms: pounga, ono, whakatiputipu, rumaki, whakatō, whakatōtō, whakatōnga, marotiritiri


8. (noun) variation, version, variant.

Kauā: Ko tētahi rerenga o tēnei ingoa he kauwaha, he momo anō nō te āwheto (M 2006:236). / Kauā: Another variation of this name is 'kauwaha', a species of caterpillar.

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9. (noun) issue (e.g. of a newspaper).

E ono anō ngā rerenga o 'Te Pihoihoi' ka mutu, nō te pō ka wāwāhia e ngā Māori te perehi ko ngā reta i whakarewaina hei matā pū (TP 12/1906:10). / There were just six issues of 'Te Pihoihoi' before it stopped and one night the printing press was smashed by the Māori and the type was melted down for bullets.

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rūkahu

1. (verb) (-hia,-ngia,-tia) to tell lies.

Ka rīria atu e Tūhawaiki, me te karanga atu e rūkahu ana ia; nō konei ka taki whawhai (TTR 1990:27). / When Tūhawaiki upbraided Karetai for telling lies the two leaders came to blows.

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2. (modifier) false, untrue, fake, insincere.

Heoi i waenganui i ngā tau 1840 ki 1900 ka riro te rahi o ngā whenua o te Māori – nā ngā hoko rūkahu a te kāwanatanga, ngā pakanga mō te whenua, te raupatu whenua, me ngā mahi a te Kōti Whenua Māori (Te Ara 2013). / But between 1840 and 1900 much of the Māori land was taken - because of dubious government land purchases, the wars over land, land confiscation and the operation of the Native Land Court.

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3. (noun) lie, fabrication, person who tells lies, propaganda.

He rūkahu ngā kōrero a Te Putaewa (W 1971:351). / What Te Putaewa says are lies.

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Synonyms: kēā, papahu, tahupera, whakateka, teka, tito, tipatipa, tīpapa, kōrero teka, kōrero parau, horihori, hori, pūkei, rūpahu, takoto, hāwatewate, pūkai, paraparau, patu taringa

rūpahu

1. (verb) (-hia,-ngia,-tia) to tell lies, mislead, deceive.

Ka whakakeke au. Kua rūpahu au ki taku māmā kāore noa iho ia i riri mai i a au (HP 1991:23). / I was silent. I had lied to my mother so that she would not be angry with me.

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2. (modifier) false, untrue, fake, insincere, deceitful.

Ko rāua mārire hoki ngā tāngata pākiwaha i kōrero whakakake noa, rūpahu noa (TWMNT 21/5/1879:422). / And they are the boastful people who spoke with assumed superiority and deceit.
He pai nōna, he aroha, he atawhai, he hūmārie, he pono nō āna kōrero. Kāore ana kōrero whakapatipati, kāore he kōrero rūpahu (TTT 1/6/1925:239). / His good qualities were of compassion, generosity, affability and speaking the truth. He did not flatter or tell lies.

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3. (noun) lie, fabrication, person who tells lies, propaganda.

Ka mea te iwi katoa kua kite nei i te tere o Hotunui ki te kupenga, ka mea “E pai ana kia karangatia. Ākuanei he rūpahu noa iho nā taua tangata.” (JPS 1941:128). / The people all said that they had witnessed the speed of Hotunui in net-weaving and said, “It is well that he be invited. Perhaps it is just lies on the part of that man.”

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Synonyms: kēā, papahu, tahupera, rūkahu, whakateka, teka, tito, tipatipa, tīpapa, kōrero teka, kōrero parau, horihori, hori, pūkei, takoto, hāwatewate, pūkai, paraparau, patu taringa

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