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Te Aka Māori Dictionary
Filters

Idioms

Phrases

Proverbs

Loan words

Historical loan words

powhiwhi

1. (verb) to be tangled, interlaced.

I a ia e haere ana mā te ngāherehere, ka powhiwhi ia i te kareao (TTR 1990:94). / While making his way through the bush, he became entangled in supple-jack vines.

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2. (noun) entanglement, complication, mess.

E mea atu ana ahau ki a koutou me whakawhirinaki tātou ki a Tā Āpirana Ngata. Ka taea e ia te wetewete ngā powhiwhi e pā ana ki ngā whenua Māori (TTT 1/3/1929:940). / I am saying to you all that we should rely on Sir Āpirana Ngata. He will be able to unravel the complications concerning Māori lands.

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Synonyms: tīrangorango, kūnakunaku, tīwekaweka

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Te Aka Māori-English, English-Māori Dictionary and Index by John C Moorfield comprises a selection of modern and everyday language that will be extremely useful for learners of the Māori language.

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He Pātaka Kupu is a monolingual Māori language dictionary, and was designed using its own culturally authentic terms.

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