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Loan words

Historical loan words

Filters

Idioms

Phrases

Proverbs

Loan words

Historical loan words

pōrangi

1. (verb) (-a) to search for, seek.

Ka pōrangi ki ngā maunga ki ngā wai matatiki, ki ngā rākau, ki ngā manu: kāhore hoki i kitea he wahine māhana (Tr 1874:34). / He searched in the mountains, at the springs, in the trees and the birds, but he could not find a wife for himself.

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2. (adjective) be insane, mad, crazy, mentally ill, deranged, beside oneself, headstrong, hurried, stupid.

Ko te whakatau a ngā tākuta, kāhore rawa he pōrangi o taua none, ā nō konei ka tukua ia e te kōti kia haere (TKO 30/9/1920:11). / The decision of the doctors was that that nun was not mentally ill, and as a result she was released by the court.

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Synonyms: mate ā-hinengaro, pōrewarewa, haurangi, pōrewharewha


3. (noun) stupidity, silliness, lunatic, insanity, madness.

Kei te mōhio i a tatou te āhua o te pōrangi, kua ngaro ngā whakaaro, kua kore e mōhio ki te pai ki te hē (TP 7/1909:7) / We know what insanity is like, reason disappears and one no longer knows right from wrong.

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Synonyms: porowairangi

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