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Historical loan words

Filters

Idioms

Phrases

Proverbs

Loan words

Historical loan words

purotu

1. (verb) to be pleasant, agreeable, clear, beautiful, handsome.

Ka tino purotu te puāwai o te rākau, arā, o te kōwhai, o te hutukawa, o te rātā, o te heketara, o te rangiora (TTT 1/4/1929:972). / The flowers of the trees were quite beautiful, that is of the kōwhai, the pōhutukawa, the rātā, the tree daisy and the rangiora.

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Synonyms: tau, waiwaiā, koea, ātaahua, hūmārie, hūmārire, ātanga, pīwari, turua, matareka, hūmārika, rēhia, kakato, rawe, rekareka, hāneanea, ngohengohe, pai, manini, āhuareka, reka, āhumehume, pārekareka, harakoa, ngāwari


2. (adjective) beautiful, handsome, good-looking, attractive, gorgeous, pleasant, agreeable.

He pūrotu ake tana teina i a ia (Te Ara 2016). / His younger brother was more handsome than him.

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3. (modifier) beautiful, handsome, good-looking, attractive, gorgeous, pleasant, agreeable.

Ehara i te tangata purotu, engari he tangata koi te hinengaro, he tangata māhaki (TTR 1990:328). / He wasn't a handsome man, but he had a sharp mind and was self-possessed.

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4. (noun) beauty, attractiveness, elegence, handsomeness.

O ngā Māori katoa o mua atu i tūtakina e ia, kāore i rite ki a Whakatau mō te māhorahora me te purotu o te kanohi (TTR 1994:30). / Of all the Māori he had met previously none could match Whakatau for his open and handsome countenance.

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Synonyms: rerehua, waiwaiā, ātaahua, hūmārie, tau, hūmārire, ātanga

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