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Idioms

Phrases

Proverbs

Loan words

Historical loan words

whāia (nei) ka/kua

1. all of a sudden, out of the blue, and then, without warning, from nowhere, unexpectedly, out of nowhere, unpredictably - an idiom to show a sudden and unexpected change.

I te haere pēnā atu mātou, whāia ka tae mai te rongo kua whakakore kētia te hui. / We went there, but out of the blue the news arrived that the meeting had been cancelled.
I ngā tau o mua atu, me uaua ka hamumu te waha. Whāia nei, kua pakari tonu tana tū ki te kauhau ki te mātinitini (HKK 1999:143). / In years gone by he rarely opened his mouth. Suddenly he's become able to stand and speak to the masses.

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Synonyms: matawhawhati

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