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Idioms

Phrases

Proverbs

Loan words

Historical loan words

whakautu

1. (verb) (-a,-ngia) to answer, reply, respond.

Ka whakautu atu au, 'E Rihi, kāore au e mōhio ki te kau.' (HP 1991:20). / I replied, 'Rihi, I don't know how to swim.'

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Synonyms: urupare, whakahoki, whakahokihoki, paremata, kātoitoi, ō, utu


2. (modifier) responding, answering, replying.

Ko te tono a Māui Pōmare ki a Kīngi Te Rata rāua ko Tupu Taingākawa i te rangi i ū mai ai rāua ki Ākarana, kia whakaaetia mai ngā Māori kia haere ki te whawhai ki ngā iwi nunui o te ao e whawhai mai nei. Ko te kupu whakautu a Kīngi Te Rata rāua ko Tupu, "Waiho, me kawe ake ki te iwi. Kei te iwi te tikanga." (TMP 16/12/1895:1). / Māui Pōmare's request to King Te Rata and Tupu Taingākawa on the day that they landed in Auckland was that the Māori be permitted to go to fight against the great nations of the world who were at war. The response by King Te Rata and Tupu was, "Well, it must be taken to the people. The people will decide."

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Synonyms: utu


3. (noun) answer, response, reply, riposte.

Ko te whakautu tēnei a Nuku i te waiata a Te Haeata (M 2007:24). / This was Nuku's response to Te Haeata's song.

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Synonyms: kātoitoi, kupu paremata, urupare, whakahoki, whakahokihoki

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