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Loan words

Historical loan words

pāua

1. (noun) pāua, abalone, sea ear, Haliotis spp. - edible univalve molluscs of rocky shores that have flattened, ear-shaped shells with a row of small holes for breathing. They have a strong grip on rocks but move about at night grazing on seaweed. Haliotis iris, the largest pāua, has peacock-like colours on the inside of the shell.

Ka tahuri rātau ki te koko rimu hei takotoranga mō ngā pāua me ngā ika maroke kia mākūkū ai, koi kino i te rehu waitai (JPS 1913:111). / They proceeded to pull up seaweed as receptacles for the pāua and the dried fish so that they would be moist, and so that they should not be spoiled by the sea spray.

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Synonyms: tuke o rangi


2. (noun) spinner, fishing lure with a pāua shell inlay.

Ka tae ki tana pāua pounamu, ka hoe ki te moana, ka whiu i tana pāua ki te wai (Biggs 1997:43). / He took his greenstone and pāua spinner, paddled out to sea, and cast it onto the water (Biggs 1997:42).

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3. (noun) hoof.

Hei te haruru o te takahi o ngā pāua o ōna hōiho kaha, hei te rorohū o ōna hāriata, hei te ngaehe o ōna wīra, kore iho ngā mātua e tahuri ki muri ki ā rātou tamariki (PT Heremaia 47:3). / At the noise of the stamping of the hoofs of his strong horses, at the rushing of his chariots, and at the rumbling of his wheels, the fathers shall not look back to their children.

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