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Idioms

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Proverbs

Loan words

Historical loan words

whakamahi

1. (verb) (-a,-ngia) to set to work, cause to work, operate, put to work, employ, use.

Kāore ia i pīrangi ki te tohutō, engari e ai ki tāna, he mea pai atu te whakamahi i te tohu oro tāpara, takitoru rānei (TTR 2000:11). / He did not like the macron, preferring to use the double or triple vowel.

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Synonyms: tahuri, whāwhā, whakahaere, tapahi


2. (noun) use.

He tika tonu hoki te nui o tana whakamahi i ngā kohinga kōrero a Pei, ki ētehi wāhanga o tana tuhinga i te pukapuka nei, i a 'Tainui', ā, tērā pea i mahue noa i a ia te tono tika rawa atu kia whakamahia e ia aua kōrero rā (TTR 1998:86). / It's correct that parts of 'Tainui' made extensive use of Pei's collection, and perhaps permission to use material may not have been formally sought.

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