whitawhita
1. (verb) to be eager, urgent, quick, brisk, zealous, full of life, energetic.
I tō mātou ake whenua, tino nui rawa atu te ngahere, engari he nui tonu ngā painga i puta mai ki te whānau ake, he whitawhita hoki a Pāpā ki ēnei mea, ki te mahi ahuwhenua (TWK 43:14). / On our own land there was a great amount of forest, but there was a great deal of benefit that accrued to the family and Dad was energetic about his farming.
Synonyms: ngākaunui, ngangahau, ngākau whiwhita, ngākau whakapuke, whiwhita, ringa tōhau nui, kakama, kama, pepeke, māngi, tere, naho, kamakama, teretere, hihiko, horo, pekepeke, horohoro, hohoro, tūkawikawi, wawewawe
2. (verb) to burn well.
Nā, koirā pea te wāhi ki a koutou - ko koutou nā hoki kei te pae o te riri, kei te mura o te ahi, ā, ko te whakatau mā koutou ko te ahi rānei me tīnei, ko te ahi rānei me tūtakitaki kia mura tonu ai, ahakoa pūrēhua noa iho nei, ahakoa whitawhita rānei (HM 3/1995). / Now, perhaps that is your part - you who are at the battle front in the thick of it, and it is for you to decide whether the fire should be extinguished or allowed to continue to burn, whether it just flickers or burns well.
3. (adjective) be eager, urgent, quick, brisk, zealous, full of life, energetic.
He nui tonu ngā painga i puta mai ki te whānau ake, he whitawhita hoki a Pāpā ki ēnei mea, ki te mahi ahuwhenua (TWK 43:14). / There are quite a few benefits that come to the family and Dad was zealous in farming tasks.
4. (noun) eagerness, enthusiasm, zeal, fervour.
Hāunga ia te whitawhita, ā tōna wā tērā kia mārō ake nei te haere (HM 1/1999:2). / But apart from the enthusiasm, in time it will become firmly established.
Synonyms: wana, matangareka, ngākau whakapuke, kaikaha, rika, tāwheta, whiwhita, ngākaunui
