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Idioms

Phrases

Proverbs

Loan words

Historical loan words

Māori

1. (verb) to be Māori, apply in a Māori way.

Ahakoa i tīkina atu te kupu i te reo Pākehā, ko tana whakatakoto mai e Māori ana (Kāretu 2015). / Despite the word coming from English, its use is applied in a Māori way.

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2. (modifier) Māori.

Kai tēnei reanga te oranga o te reo Māori me ngā tamariki e whakaakona ana e rātau ki te reo (Kāretu 2015). / The health of the Māori language is with this generation and the children being taught the language by them.

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3. (noun) Māori, indigenous New Zealander, indigenous person of Aotearoa/New Zealand - a new use of the word resulting from Pākehā contact in order to distinguish between people of Māori descent and the colonisers.

I akona te reo Māori e ia nō te mea he ngākaunui ia ki te Māori (HP 1991:27). / He learnt the Māori language because he was kindly disposed towards Māori people.

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See also māori

Take a photo, learn a language

Discover te reo Māori words with Kupu, a simple way to explore language through the world around you. Just take a photo of an object with your phone and Kupu will provide Māori translation options, helping you discover new words wherever you go.

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The App

Te Aka Māori Dictionary is also available as an iOS and Android app. Download below.

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The Book

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

Te kai a te rangatira

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

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