motu
1. (verb) (-hia,-kia) to sever, cut, cut off, set free, separate.
I reira e motukia ana te kāwai o Rukupō (TTR 1994:98). / Thus Rukupo's line of descent was severed.
Synonyms: wewete, tuku, wete, wetewete, momotu, motuhake, wae, wehewehe, wehe, whakatāuke, whakawehewehe, tiriwā, īheuheu, tīwae, tūhāhā, heu, ihi, tuakoi, wawae, whakawehe, kōwai, whakapirara, tāuke, tāwae, tāwaewae, tūtahi, totohi, nahenahe, kōwaewae, kōwae, tokorau, māhiti, roherohe, tauwehe, tauārai, tohi, toritori
2. (verb) to be separated, moved to a distance - especially in the phrase motu ki te ara.
Kātahi ka kōkiri te matua a Ngāti Raukawa. Ka motu mai ki te ara, ka haere te kaiwhakatakoto i te mānuka, i muri e whana atu ana te kaiwero - ko Kemene Piharau o Wairarapa (TWMNT 12/12/1872:150). / Then Ngāti Raukawa's army thrust forward. When they had moved some distance the man laying down the challenge stick went forward and after that the challenger, Kemene Piharau of Wairarapa, sprang forward.
Nō ngā rā o Hepetema rāua ka motuhia e te Pīhopa o Ākarana ki te tūranga piriti. I motuhia rāua ki Taranaki. / In September they were appointed by the Bishop of Auckland to the position of priest. They were moved to Taranaki.
3. (verb) to be set free, escape.
Me te weka ka motu i te māhanga (NM 1928:144). / Like a weka escaping from a trap.
4. (stative) be cut, severed.
I runga i tō rāua nonoketanga ko te kaikōhuru ka motu tōna ringa i te heu, ka ngaua tōna ringa (TP 5/1904:3). / In their struggle the murderer cut his arm with the razor and bit his arm.
Ka kite iho au kua motu te kiko o te tupehau o taku waewae (HP 1991:21). / I saw that the flesh of the calf of my leg had been cut.
5. (noun) island, country, land, nation, clump of trees, ship - anything separated or isolated.
6. (noun) cut, wound.
Ngā motu kikino, nunui, me ngā ringa, waewae raupā: He miro te rongoā. Me tapahi te rākau, ka rere mai te hāpiapia ka pani i te motu, i te ringa i te waewae raupā ranei, ka takai ki te harakeke (TTT 1/12/1929:1955). / Bad and big cuts and calloused hands and feet: Miro is the treatment. The tree should be cut, gum will flow and smear is on the cut, or the calloused hand or foot and wrap it with New Zealand flax.
