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Loan words

Historical loan words

ururoa

1. (noun) white shark, white pointer, Carcharodon carcharias - a large, heavy-bodied shark found in temperate and tropical waters. Eats a wide variety of fish and birds and attacks humans. Noted for its broadly triangular teeth with serrated edges. The largest of man-eating sharks, with the largest individuals known to reach 6 metres in length and 2,268 kilograms in weight. Large spindle-shaped body with pointed snout. Near-symetrical tail, large first dorsal and very small second dorsal fin. Grey above and white below with a sharp demarcation between the two colours.

Kei mate ā-tarakihi koe, engari kia mate ā-ururoa (TP 5/1906:2). / You should not die like the tarakihi, but rather you should die like a shark. (A whakatauākī to exemplify courage.)

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See also mangō ururoa

Synonyms: mangō


2. (noun) purple sunset shell, Gari stangeri - a triangular-shaped bivalve mollusc common in sand, mud or gravel near low tide. Whitish outside shell striped with purple and inside bright purple.

See also kuwharu

Synonyms: wahawaha, kuharu, kuwharu

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