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Historical loan words

Filters

Idioms

Phrases

Proverbs

Loan words

Historical loan words

hongi

1. (verb) (-a,-hia,-tia) to press noses in greeting.

Ākuanei pea kua wareware anō ngā mātua, kua kore i hongi, kua kihi kē (TTT 1/12/1930:2214). / Soon parents will probably have forgotten, they will no longer hongi, but will kiss instead.

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2. (verb) to smell, sniff.

Ka hongi te wahine rā, ka whakatetere i tōna poho hei horomi i a Māui; nā ko te honginga atu, nā ka hongi ki te tonga, kāhore i piro mai ki tōna ihu; ka hongi ki te marangai, ki ngā hau katoa, hongi rawa atu ki te hauāuru, kua piro mai (NM 1928:12). / That woman sniffed and extended her chest to swallow up Māui; and when she sniffed she sniffed to the south, but could smell nothing; she sniffed to the east, and in all directions. When she eventually sniffed to the west, she smelt him.

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3. (noun) pressing noses in greeting.

Kei roto ngā whakamāramatanga mō te aituā, te aroha, te Atua, te hahu tūpāpaku, te hāngī, te hongi, te hura kōwhatu me te tini atu (HM 2/1991:6). / In it are explanations about death, love, God, exhumation of the dead, earth ovens, unveilings and many other things.

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