tata
1. (verb) to be near, close, nearby, closely, about, suddenly.
Synonyms: kō tata tonu atu, pātata, pahaki, tūtata, tātata, āhua, (ko) tōna ... (nei)
2. (modifier) a little, slightly, just - when placed after a locative, or location word, tata indicates a short distance away.
I te tau 1866 ka mauherehia a Te Kooti ki waho tata o Tūranga, ā, ka kawea ki Wharekauri me te kore whakawā (Te Ara 2017). / In 1866 when Te Kooti was arrested just out of Gisborne he was taken to the Chatham Islands and without trial.
Synonyms: ia rā, heipū, mārie, mārika, mārire, ia, tonu, noa ake, tōkeke, noa iho, noa, tou, tika, ake, kau
3. (modifier) shortly, just - when placed after a word for time, tata indicates a short space of time.
I ngā wiki i mua tata atu i tōna matenga, he rite tonu tana puta ake hei kaiwhakaatu mō ngā kerēme i te aroaro o te Kōti Whenua Māori (TTR 1990:153). / In the weeks just prior to his death, he continued to appear before the Native Land Court as a witness for the claims.
4. (modifier) close by - when placed after a verb.
Ka tuku kupu ngā amorangi o Ngāti Kahungunu ki ō rātou iwi e noho tata mai ana, kia whakahiato hei ope taua mō rātou (TTR 1990:333). / The chiefs of Ngāti Kahungunu sent word to their tribes living nearby to assemble their forces.
5. (modifier) nearly, almost - when placed before a verb, tata indicates something is very close to reaching a particular state.
Kua tata oti te pukapuka te tuhi. / Writing the book is nearly finished.
I tata mīia ō māua tarau i te kaha o tā māua kata (HJ 2015:234). / We nearly wet our pants we were laughing so much.
Synonyms: whano tae, kua [mutu] tonu, tōtahi, whano, whakatata
6. (noun) closeness, near to, away from.
Ko tōna haerenga tēnei i tae ai ia ki te 170 māero te tata atu ki te pito o te ao (TP 9/1909:8). / On this trip he got to 170 miles away from the pole.
