whakatōngā
1. (verb) (-tia) to hide one's feelings, remain silent, be circumspect, be guarded, be cagey.
I a rāua ko Te Whiti i Te Waipounamu, mau tonu a Tohu ki tōna kore e pai ki ngā tikanga Pākehā, hāunga a Te Whiti i whakatōngā ia (TTR 1994:183). / When he and Te Whiti were in the South Island, Tohu steadfastly refused to be influenced by Pākehā ways, in contrast to Te Whiti who was more circumspect.
2. (verb) (-tia) find fault with, criticize.
Ko te tangata i ahu mai nei tētahi wāhi o tōna mātauranga i te Pākehā he tangata e whakatōngātia, e haea, e whakatātaretia, e ngau tuarātia e ngā tāngata kūware (TKO 31/8/1920:5). / The person whose knowledge comes partly from the Pākehā is a person who is criticized, envied, scrutinized and subjected to backbiting by ignorant people.
3. (modifier) retiring, reticent, unassuming, reserved, inhibited, restrained, reluctant, circumspect, guarded, cagey.
Ka whakawahia ko te tangata whakatōngā nei, e rite tonu nei te pāngia e te mate, ko Te Rata, hei Kīngi hou (TTR 1996:253). / The reticent man, Te Rata, who was continually ill, was crowned as the new King.
Synonyms: rikarika, ārikarika, tikumu, pūihi, moke, manauhea, whakawhēuaua, horokukū, whakakumu, kōroiroi, manawa pā, whakatohetohe, parahako, korongatā, korou kore, whakatenetene, whakauaua, tāpui, hūnguengue, konekone, nohopuku, tōngā, wahangū, nguengue, whakamōwai, memeke, rāhui
4. (noun) reluctance, restraint.
He nui ngā raruraru. Arā tētehi ko tana whakatōngā ki te tautoko i te kaupapa whakatau i ngā whenua raupatu o Waikato, i kawea ai e Tūmate i te tau 1938 (TTR 1998:88). / There were many difficulties. One was his reluctance to support the settlement of the Waikato confiscation claim, which Tūmate was negotiating in 1938.
Synonyms: paraire, hūmārika, whakatohetohe, korou kore, ngākau kore, kōroiroi
