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Loan words

Historical loan words

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Idioms

Phrases

Proverbs

Loan words

Historical loan words

ketu

1. (verb) (-a) to dig, remove earth, dig out, ferret out.

Koia hoki te mīharo o te ngākau ki te kaha o te iwi Pākehā ki te whakapau i ngā moni nui whakaharahara ki te ketu i raro i te whenua kia kitea i roto i ngā ana, i ngā mōrehu o ngā pā tawhito ētahi māramatanga mō te tipunga mai o ngā iwi o te ao (TTT 1/8/1923:4). / One marvels at the ability of the Pākehā people to spend huge amounts of money on digging under the ground to find explanations about the development of the peoples of the world in caves and remnants of ancient forts.

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2. (verb) (-a) to root (of pigs).

Kua ketua taku māra e te poaka (W 1971:115). / The pigs have rooted up my garden.

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3. (noun) pointed paddle-shaped implement - to loosen soil for cultivation, earthworks, etc.

Anō nei te rite o te ketu ki te hoe iti; ko tāna he whakapāpako i te oneone (Te Ara 2015). / The ketu was like a small paddle, which was used for loosening the soil.

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Synonyms: wauwau, pīnaki

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