pātai
1. (verb) (-a,-hia,-ngia,-ria,-tia) to ask, question, enquire, cross-examine, provoke, challenge.
Ko te take i pātai ai au he āhua tāruturutu, kōtiutiu nō te haere a te waka nei (HP 1991:315). / The reason why I asked was because the vehicle was going somewhat jerkily and was swerving about.
Synonyms: whakaui, ui, uiui, urupounamu, pakirehua, whakanano, whakariri, whakatari, māreherehe, kōpana, pītaritari, pātari, hītaritari, eneene, whakapātari, patapatai, mukākā, whakatatari, taunanawe, pītari, pākani, pātaritari, patou, pātaitai, whakakārangirangi, whakapātaritari, whakatenetene, whakatumatuma, whakahorohoro
2. (noun) query, question, enquiry.
Ka tū a Te Aotaki ki te mihi ki te iwi. Ka mutu, kātahi anō ia ka whaikōrero ki a Tū-whakairi-ora, me te pātai ki te pūtake o tōna haramai ko ia anake (JPS 1911:19). / Te Aotaki stood up to greet the tribe. When that ended, he next made a speech to Tū-whakairi-ora, with the question as to the reason that he had come alone.
Synonyms: whakaui, ui, urupounamu, pakirehua
