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homai

1. (verb) (-hia,-ngia,-tia) to give (towards the speaker), contribute, grant, provide - does not take a passive ending when used as a command and traditionally never took one. A passive suffix is often used in passive sentences, other than commands, in modern Māori.

(Te Kākano Textbook (Ed. 2): 63, 67;)

Homai te pata. / Pass the butter please.
Haere ana ki a Mahuika, ka homai e Mahuika ko tētehi o ngā maikuku (TP 3/1913:8). / He went to Mahuika and she gave him one of her fingernails.
Ka homaingia e ia he hiripa mōku, he koti, me tētahi tāora (TWK 15:10). / She gave me some slippers, a coat and a towel.

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Synonyms: whakarato, whakarawe, rato


2. (verb) (-hia,-ngia,-tia) to bring.

Nā wai koe i homai ki konei? (NM 1928:31). / Who brought you here?

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3. (interjection) my turn, my move - used in the whakaropiropi hand game when each of the two players has their turn to make a movement to catch the opponent in the same position. If one thinks the opponent has been caught they add , i.e. the call is homai rā (I've caught you).

Ki te rite te piu o ngā ringa o ngā kaitākaro, kia tere tonu te 'Homai rā' a tētahi, kia toa ai ia (PK 2008:126). / If the arm movement of the players is the same, one should quickly say 'Homai rā' so that she wins.

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See also whakaropiropi

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