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Historical loan words

tarakāniwha

1. (noun) barb (of a spear, etc.).

Ka tāreia kia iti, kia kotahi inihi me te koata pea te mātotoru o waenganui, ā kia toru koata inihi pea ngā pito, ka waruhia kia pai, kia maene, kia tika hoki, ā, kātahi ka mahia he tarakāniwha. Taua mea te tarakāniwha, he wheua, e waruhia ana kia koi tētehi pito, ka whakatara (kāniwha) anō tētehi taha, hei maunga mō te manu ina tū, ā ka werohia e te tangata (JPS 1895:134). / It's fashioned so that it's small, about one and a quarter inches thick in the middle and approximately three quarters of an inch near the ends, then scraped nicely to be quite smooth and straight, and then fitted with a barb. That is made of bone, one end of which is sharpened by scraping, and one side is serrated in order to hold the bird when a person spears it.

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Synonyms: kātara, niwha

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