atoato
1. (verb) (-a,-hia,-tia) to marshal, keep people in a regular formation.
E 5,000 ngā tāngata noho tēneti hei atoato māna mō te roanga ake o tā rātou noho (TTR 1996:95). / There were 5,000 people living in tents for him to marshal for the duration of their stay.
Synonyms: tangata atoato, maihara
2. (modifier) marshalling.
Ko wai hei tangata atoato i te kapa ka tū ki te atamira o Te Matatini? (RMR 2017). / Who is a person to marshal the performing team that will stand on the Te Matatini stage?
3. (noun) marshal, marshalling.
Ko te atoato te mahi a tētahi ki te whakahuihui, ki te whakarārangi, ki te whakatikatika i te kapa haka, i te kapa hīkoi, i te ope tauā rānei i ngā wā o mua (RMR 2017). / Marshalling is the action of a person in bringing together, lining up and regulating a haka group, a group marching, or a war party in previous times (RMR 2017).
