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Idioms

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Loan words

Historical loan words

whakatau

1. (verb) (-a,-hia,-ngia,-ria) to decide, settle, prepare, determine, arbitrate, adjudicate.

I te 17 o Hune nei, i whakawākia rāua i te Kōti Matua mō te hara tuhituhi pukanoa i ngā ingoa tāngata kē ki ngā tieki tono moni i ngā pēke, ā whakataua ana e te kōti kia kotahi tau mō tētahi, mō tētahi ki te whare herehere (TWMA 20/6/1884:3). / On 17th June they went on trial in the Supreme Court for writing fraudulent cheques and were each sentenced by the court to one year in prison.

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Synonyms: whakatika, pātā, whakapai, whakataka, rāwekeweke, tītakataka, whakaute, takataka, whakareri, whakatikatika, whakatakatū, takatū, whakatakataka, rahurahu, raweke, tau, whakamāhaki, whakatatū, whakanoho, whakaea, nohonoho, noho, pūwhenua, whakataiwhenua, tatū


2. (verb) (-a,-hia,-ngia) to go to meet, visit.

Ā, haere ana rātou ki te whakatau i taua tangata nei (JPS 1952:189). / So they went to meet the man.

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3. (verb) (-a,-hia,-ngia) to welcome officially, welcome formally.

Tērā atu anō ētahi o ngā rangatira o Ngāti Porou i tū ki te whakatau i te manuhiri (HKW 1/4/1902:3). / There were some other leaders of Ngāti Porou who stood to formally welcome the visitors.

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4. (verb) (-a,-hia,-ngia) to imitate, mime, mimic, act out, feign, make believe, simulate.

Ka whakatau te tangata rā i te kaiako, hemo ana mātou i te kata (PK 2008:1135). / When that man imitated the teacher we died laughing.

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Synonyms: whakahuahua, tāwhai, whakaari ngū, whakataruna, whakatakune, whakangaio, whakaata, whaihanga


5. (verb) (-a,-hia,-ngia) to put on as an ornament, adorn.

Whakataua mai te awe o te toroa (W 1971:396). / Put on the feather plumes of the albatross.

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6. (modifier) decisive.

Ko taua kupu whakatau a te kōti ka waiho hei kupu tūturu tonu ki ngā tāngata katoa e uru ana ki taua mahi (TWMNT 5/9/1876:216). / That decision of the court remained as the guiding principle for all the people entering into that occupation.

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7. (modifier) welcoming, greeting.

Nā Te Wiremu ngā kupu whakatau i a ia (HKW 1/5/1902:4). / Mr Williams gave the words of welcome to him.

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8. (noun) decision, settlement, role play, charade.

Ko te whakatau a ngā tākuta, kāhore rawa he pōrangi o taua none, ā nō konei ka tukua ia e te kōti kia haere (TKO 30/9/1920:11). / The decision of the doctors was that that nun was not mentally ill, and as a result she was released by the court.

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Synonyms: whakatutukitanga, whakaritenga, kāinga, whakatatū, whakanoho, kāenga, noninga kumu


9. (noun) official welcome speeches.

Auina iho i te ahiahi o taua rā anō i te 8 o ngā hāora, ka haere ngā mihi me ngā whakatau ki a ia (TKO 6/1914:1). / Later in the evening of that same day at 8 o'clock the speeches of welcome to him occurred.

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