ngau tuarā
1. (verb) (-tia) to backbite, defame, cast aspersions, denigrate.
Ko te tangata i ahu mai nei tētahi wāhi o tōna mātauranga i te Pākehā he tangata e whakatōngātia, e haea, e whakatātaretia, e ngau tuarātia e ngā tāngata kūware (TKO 31/8/1920:5). / The person whose knowledge comes partly from the Pākehā is a person who is criticized, envied, scrutinized and subjected to backbiting by ignorant people.
Synonyms: kohimu, kōhumuhumu, kōhimuhimu, muhari
2. (modifier) slanderous, defamatory, malicious, backbiting, disparaging, scandalmongering, spiteful.
He kōrero ngau tuarā ngā kōrero o taua reta; kāore hoki i tāia atu e mātou, engari i haehaetia e mātou - he ingoa kore, he kino hoki nō ngā kōrero (TWMNT 8/5/1872:63). / The contents of that letter are slanderous; and we did not publish it, but we tore it up - because it had no name and the contents were terrible.
Synonyms: tūtara, kaikino, whakakino, hīkaka, whakakinokino, kikokiko
3. (noun) slander, backbiting, denigration, disparagement, scandalmongering, spitefulness.
Ko te tino take o te ngau tuarā he hae (TTT 1/3/1925:193). / The main reason for backbiting is jealousy.
Synonyms: komekome
