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Loan words

Historical loan words

Filters

Idioms

Phrases

Proverbs

Loan words

Historical loan words

keka

1. (verb) to be mentally deranged, beside oneself with grief, hysterical, temporarily deranged, lose it.

Nā te takakinotanga o tōna whānau e ngā hōia, kua keka ia. / Because of the torture of her extended family by the soldiers, she became deranged.

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2. (noun) insanity, madness, lunacy.

Riro ana mā ngā kaiwhakawā e āta wānanga he mahi pokerehū rānei, he kawenga rānei nā te keka, i mōhio pū rānei e aha ana ia (HJ 2015:95). / It was up to the judges to carefully consider whether it was an accident, a result of insanity, or whether he actually knew what he was doing.

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3. (noun) madman, bigot.

Ko te tangata kīhai e aro ki te whakaaro nui, he keka. Ko tērā kīhai e āhei ki te whakaaro nui he hākawa. Ko te mea kīhai e noho ki te āta whakaaro ka noho taurekareka noa (Milroy 2016). / He that will not reason is a bigot. He that cannot reason is a fool. He that dares not reason is a slave (Milroy 2016).

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4. (noun) lament, rhythmic chant without actions.

He keka nā Koropanga mō ana tamariki (G 1853:84). / A lament by Koropanga for her children.

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See also pōkeka

Synonyms: matatangitangi, takuate, tūkeka, rutu, mōteatea, tangi, uhunga, waiata tangi, apakura, pihe, rurutu, taurere, mihi

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