tūpanapana
1. (verb) to vibrate, twitch continuously, jerk.
Ki te mea ka tūpanapana te io i te ringa rānei, i te waewae rānei, ā, tata tonu ki te tinana te tūpanapana, he aituā mate (White 2 1889:4). / If a muscle of the arm or leg twitched, and a vibration was quite close to the body, those were signs of accidental deaths.
Synonyms: tupana, korowhiti, pahiwi, hiwi, pere, ruturutu, rutu, nape
2. (noun) vibration, twitching, jerking.
He tini noa iho ngā aituā me ngā tohu i whakaponohia e ngā tāngata i aua rā - ka kekē ngā papa o te whare, he tohu mākutu; ka rangona te tūpanapana, he tohu mate (TK 1/11/1845:42). / There were many mishaps and signs that people believed in in those days - when the boards of the house creaked, that was a sign of witchcraft; when vibration was felt, that was an omen of death.
Synonyms: whana
