2. (particle) at the, in the - when followed by a noun.
(Te Kākano Textbook (Ed. 2): 29, 82;)
Kei te ngahere rāua e whakangau poaka ana. / They're in the bush hunting pigs.
3. Sometimes used as a stylistic device when narrating a story set in the past to add excitement to the account.
(Te Māhuri Study Guide (Ed. 1): 74;)
Ka ū a Hinemoa ki te waiariki raka, kei te whakamahana i a ia, he wiri nōna i te māeke (Biggs 1997:105). / When Hinemoa reaches that hot pool, she warms herself because she is shivering from the cold.
Ahakoa kei te hōkarikari aku waewae, kei te hāparangi taku waha ki te karanga, kāore he tangata i aro ake ki a au (HP 1991:20). / Although I'm holding my legs stiff and yelling out, nobody's taking any notice of me.
