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Loan words

Historical loan words

Filters

Idioms

Phrases

Proverbs

Loan words

Historical loan words

pūkenga

1. (modifier) skilled, versed in.

Tino mōhiotia ana ia he tangata pūkenga, he tohunga rongonui ki te whakairo (TTR 1998:85). / He was well known as a skilled person, a famous expert carver.

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2. (noun) repository, skill, expertise, lecturer.

Ki tāna, he hua nui kei roto i te taha mākohakoha, whakahoahoa hoki o te Māori i tana noho, tāpiri atu hoki ki ana pūkenga auaha me tana manaaki i te tangata, he painga mō te motu kei te katoa o ēnei āhuatanga (TTR 2000:71). / In his opinion, there was great value in the relaxed and friendly nature of the Māori lifestyle in addition to their creative skills and hospitality for the benefit of the country as a whole.

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Synonyms: kaiwhakaako, kaikauwhau


3. (noun) specialist, expert.

He pūkenga ngā tohunga ki ngā momo toi whakairo, toi moko, te waihanga whare me ngā mahi ā-wairua (Te Ara 2013). / Tohunga were specialists in areas such as carving, tattooing, building houses and spiritual matters.

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