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Te Aka Māori Dictionary
Filters

Idioms

Phrases

Proverbs

Loan words

Historical loan words

kōwhai

1. (adjective) be yellow (in colour).

Ko ngā kākahu mō ngā wāhine, he kārerarera, arā he kākāriki; ko ngā mea mō ngā tāne he kōwhai te tohu (KO 15/10/1883:5). / The clothes for the women were pale green; the ones for the men were yellow.

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2. (noun) kōwhai of various species including Sophora microphylla, Sophora tetraptera and prostrate kōwhai, Sophora prostrata - small-leaved native trees common along riverbanks and forest margins and noted for their hanging clusters of large yellow flowers in early spring.

Ka tino purotu te puāwai o te rākau, arā, o te kōwhai, o te hutukawa, o te rātā, o te heketara, o te rangiora (TTT 1/4/1929:972). / The flowers of the trees were quite beautiful, that is of the kōwhai, the pōhutukawa, the rātā, the tree daisy and the rangiora.

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See also kōhai

Synonyms: kōhai

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