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Idioms

Phrases

Proverbs

Loan words

Historical loan words

wana

1. (verb) to bud, shoot (of a plant), sprout, come to life.

Arā te whakataukī mō te tangata ka mate, kīia ana ka hoki ki Te Pō mō ake tonu atu, kāore e wana ake anō pērā i te tī rākau: 'Ehara i te tī e wana ake' (Te Ara 2015). / There is the proverb about a person who dies, that they return to the world of darkness forever, unlike the cabbage tree, which sprouts up again: 'Not like the cabbage tree, which renews itself.'

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2. (verb) to be exciting, thrilling, inspiring, stimulating, moving, rousing.

Ko tēnei hui he wāhi e āhei ai ngā reo katoa ki te whakamōhio he aha tā rātou e whakaako nei, e hiahia nei; ngā pukapuka, ngā rīpine, ngā ataata e pā ana ki taua reo me ngā āhuatanga hou katoa e whakaarotia ake ana e tēnā reo, e tēnā reo, kia wana ake ai ngā whakaakoranga, kia tahuri atu hoki te tangata ki taua reo (HM 1/1993:1). / This conference was a venue where all languages would be able to inform others about their teaching and what they were aspiring to do; the books, tape recordings and videos relevant to a particular language and all the new methods being considered by each language to enliven the teaching so that a person would be turned on by that language.

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Synonyms: whakakorikori, whakaohooho, panuku, whakaaroharoha, whakanekeneke, whakaaroha, whakaneke, nekehanga


3. (noun) excitement, thrill, exhilaration, fervour, verve, gusto, zeal, zest, passion, energy, sparkle, liveliness, pizazz.

Ko te wana ki ahau, ko ngā rongo, ngā kare ā-roto rānei e ara mai ana i roto i a koe, nā runga i tētahi mahi e mahia mai ana e tētahi tangata (KR 2013:33). / To me, 'wana' are the feelings, or the emotions that rise up from within you as a result of some action performed by someone.
E ai ki te mahara ake o tētehi o te minenga ki a Mere e wani mai ana i te whatārangi kia tū ai ki te aroaro-ā-kapa, ki reira haka tahi atu ai me rātau me te puta o te ihi, o te wana (TTR 1998:1). / One member of the audience remembered Mere gliding across the stage to stand in the front row of the haka group to join them in the haka with great excitement and gusto.

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Synonyms: ngangahau, mātātoa, hemonga, ihiihi, awata, kakare, ngākau whakapuke, whitawhita, matangareka, ngākaunui, whiwhita, tāwheta, rika, kaikaha


4. (noun) seedling, young shoot.

Ka taka iho ngā kākano o te nīkau ki te whenua, nāwai ā kua pihi ake, kua tipu mai he wana (PK 2008:1056). / The seeds of the nīkau tree drop to ground and after a time they sprout and seedlings grow.

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Synonyms: tipu, pihinga, tupu


5. (noun) stake, paling (of a fence).

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