ngangahu
1. (verb) to make a shrill high-pitched noise (in a haka or wero), dilate the eyes and perform exciting movements to inspire the performance group.
Ka takoto tana rākau, ka hoki whakamuri, ka tīmata ki te ngangahu, me te whiu tika i tana taiaha, me te hūpekepeke a ōna waewae (HP 1991:84). / His challenge stick lay there and he moved backwards and began to make high pitched yelps, to wield his taiaha and to jump up and down with bent legs.
See also manu ngangahu
2. (verb) to be sharply cut.
Ka titiro atu ngā tāngata ki te whakaairo o taua waka rā, anana, ngangahu kau ana te whakairo (W 1971:226). / When the people looked at the carving of that canoe, behold, it was sharply cut.
3. (verb) to be focussed, clear, in focus, clearly seen.
Ko te hua o te puare nui (waepuare iti), ka ngangahu ake ngā wāhanga katoa o te whakaahua (RTA 2014:80). / The effect of a large aperture (small f-stop number) is that all parts of the photograph are in focus.
4. (verb) to be distorted.
Ka kōrero ia, ehara, ngangahu kē ana te whakahuatanga mai o ngā kupu (NM 1928:35). / When he spoke, lo and behold, the pronunciation of the words was distorted.
5. (noun) prominence.
Ko te tūmanako mā ēnei kōrero e tīmata ngā whakatū, ngā ngangahu o te reo Māori i roto o ngā tau (TWK 14:18). / The desire is that by these accounts the Māori language will begin to have standing and prominence in the years ahead.
Synonyms: whakahirahira, hau, ahurei
