nōwhea
1. (particle) never, not on your life, there's no way, not on your nelly, not a hope in hell - used as an emphatic negative, sometimes with hoki added. Sometimes used to indicate that the speaker does not believe what someone has said. Usually written as one word for this idiomatic meaning, but sometimes as two words, i.e. nō whea. Variation of nōhea.
Ka mea atu rātou ki a ia, “Aua hoki! Nōwhea mātou e kite? Kei runga rānei, kei raro rānei, kei tawhiti atu rānei i a tātou?” (NM 1928:6). / They said to him, "We don't know! How could we ever find out? Is it to the south, the north or a great distance from us?"
See also nōhea
Synonyms: e, he aha hoki, tōu ene, nōhea, weta, kāhore kau, hore rawa, hore kau, rawa
