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Historical loan words

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Idioms

Phrases

Proverbs

Loan words

Historical loan words

poroteke

1. (modifier) menial, lowly, unskilled, humdrum.

He tangata ngāwari, ngākau māhaki noa a ‘Brownie’, ā, he mea nui ki a ia te mahi i ngā mahi poroteke noa nei, inarā, he mahi whakaako kē tāna i te hunga rangatahi, ahakoa te mahi, ka mahia mai (TTR 2000:170). / ‘Brownie' was a simple and a humble man and he considered it an important thing to do menial jobs as it was his way of teaching the youth, no matter what the task was to be done.

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Synonyms: tūtūā, ngākau pāpaku


2. (noun) person in a menial position, labourer, serf, slave.

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