rika
1. (verb) to be eager, impatient.
I muri iho i tēnei tohatohanga ihupuku o ngā whenua tāpui o Te Waipounamu, ka kihirua ngā whakaaro o Te Tipa, ā, ka rika ki te āwhina i a Ngāi Tahu (TTR 1990:351). / After his parsimonious allocation of South Island reserves, Mantell had a change of heart, and became eager to assist Ngāi Tahu.
2. (noun) enthusiasm, eagerness, zeal, earnestness, keenness, fervour.
Nā te koi o tōna hinengaro me te nui o ōna mōhiotanga, tae noa ki tōna rika ki te whakamoe i ngā tikanga tawhito ki ngā tikanga o te ao hou, ka noho hei mea mīharo mā te tini (TTR 1994:181). / His sharp intellect, wide knowledge, and his enthusiasm to fuse traditional practices with the ways of the modern world made him an influential figure.
Synonyms: whakaongaonga, kaikaha, tāwheta, whiwhita, ngākau whakapuke, wana, matangareka, whitawhita, ngākaunui
