wawara
1. (verb) to make an indistinct sound, murmur, rustle, swish.
Ka hāmama atu nei tōku waha i tua o ngā pae maunga nei kia whakarongo mai ōku hoa mana ririki i tōku reo e wawara haere atu rā i ngā tahataha o ngā takutai o Aotearoa me Te Waipounamu, e karanga atu ana haere mai! haere mai! (TP 2/1906:6). / I call to beyond the mountain ranges so that all my friends listen to my call sounding along the shores of the North and South Islands, calling welcome! welcome!
Synonyms: hāmumumumu, hīrearea, wara, warowaro, wawaro, tihitihi, kikihi, pakē, kotekote, kōhetehete, kōwhetewhete, tamumu, tamūtamū, kōmuhumuhu, whetewhete, warawara, ngaehe, kōkihi, kōmuhu, kowhete, kohete, kihi, kotete, tāwara, whakatanguru, ngāeheehe
2. (modifier) indistinctly.
Ka nui ngā rōpū whakahaere pēnei i ngā whenua o te ao, ā, kei te kohikohi moni ētahi Pākehā o te motu nei kia pērā hoki tā rātou whakahaere i a āatou. Kāti i rongo wawara au ki Motutapu, ki whea rānei, he tikanga anō tēnei nā tātou, nā te Māori i ngā wā onamata (TP 10/1907:9). / There are many groups organised in this way in the countries of the world and some Pākehā of this country are collecting money and organising themselves in a similar fashion. Well, I have heard indistinctly in Motutapu, or elsewhere, that this was a practice of ours, of the Māori in former times.
3. (noun) rumour, indistinct sound.
Haere katoa ngā kōrero i roto i te reo Māori, engari e ai ki ngā whakahau a Īhāia i te tau 1894, e ngana ana te wawara mō te hiahia o te Pākehā ki te tautoko i te pepa mā te whakawhiwhi moni pēnā rā ka whakaputaina i roto i ngā reo e rua (TTR 1994:30). / All the accounts were in Māori, although in 1894 Īhāia reported persistent rumours that Pākehā wanted to support the paper financially provided it was published in both languages.
Synonyms: tara, kōrero takuahi, waha kau, tūtara, kōhumuhumu, kohimu, kōhimuhimu
