pepeha
1. (verb) (-tia) to say, exclaim, be the subject of a saying (in the passive, i.e. pepehatia).
(Te Pihinga Textbook (Ed. 2): 31-32; Te Kōhure Textbook (Ed. 2): 40;)
2. (noun) tribal saying, tribal motto, proverb (especially about a tribe), set form of words, formulaic expression, saying of the ancestors, figure of speech, motto, slogan - set sayings known for their economy of words and metaphor and encapsulating many Māori values and human characteristics.
Tētahi take nui i whakaaetia e tēnei hui, ko ngā mahi a ngā tūpuna o mua kei ngaro, kia tino mahia nuitia i ēnei rā: Ngā whakataukī, ngā waiata Māori, ngā pepeha, me ngā tikanga katoa o ngā mea, me ngā harihari, tūtū ngārahu, me ngā hari kai (TP 8/1909:11). / An important matter that was agreed to by the meeting was the activities of the ancestors of former times that these should be used widely today: The aphorisms, Māori songs, tribal sayings and the customary practices of everything, the songs to unite people in a common purpose, war dances and songs for presenting food.
Synonyms: whakapepeha, whakatauākī, whakataukī, peha, kupu, kīnga, tūātau, kīanga, kī, rerenga kōrero
