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Historical loan words

Filters

Idioms

Phrases

Proverbs

Loan words

Historical loan words

whakapuhi

1. (verb) (-a,-ngia,-tia) to spoil, indulge (a child).

He mea whakapuhi, he mea poipoi te hunga tamariki Māori. Ko te pōtiki tētahi i whakapuhingia (Te Ara 2014). / Māori children were indulged and cherished. The last-born was often indulged.

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2. (noun) pet, favourite.

Ahakoa tā rāua whakapuhi i tā rāua mokopuna i a ia e tamariki ana, ka pakeke ia, he wahine pukumahi ia. / Although they indulged their grandchild when she was young, when she grew up she was a hard-working woman.

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Synonyms: maimoa, mōkaikai, mōkai, mokamokai, pōtiki

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