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Idioms

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Proverbs

Loan words

Historical loan words

Filters

Idioms

Phrases

Proverbs

Loan words

Historical loan words

meamea

1. (noun) bastard, illegitimate (person).

Tēnā māu! He tama meamea noa rā koe nāku (TWMNT 22/5/1877:134). / But you! You are but an illegitimate son of mine.

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Synonyms: tīraumoko, raparere, pōriro

kamu

1. (noun) hook sedge, hook grass, bastard grass, Uncinia uncinata - a grasslike hooked sedge native to Aotearoa/New Zealand, the Society Islands, and Hawai‘i. Its natural habitat is from the coast up to 1000 metres, and is found in areas ranging from native forest to shrubland. Forms dense mounds of orange-red, or green, arching leaves about 50 cm high.

Synonyms: matau a Māui

matau a Māui

1. (noun) hook sedge, hook grass, bastard grass, Uncinia uncinata - a grasslike hooked sedge native to Aotearoa/New Zealand, the Society Islands, and Hawai‘i. Its natural habitat is from the coast up to 1000 metres, and is found in areas ranging from native forest to shrubland. Forms dense mounds of orange-red, or green, arching leaves about 50 cm high.

Synonyms: kamu

raparere

1. (noun) illegitimate child, bastard.

Synonyms: tīraumoko, meamea, pōriro

tīraumoko

1. (noun) illegitimate child, bastard.

Nō nahea i rangatira ai te tīraumoko? (HKK 1999:75). / Since when was an illegitimate child given chiefly status?

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Synonyms: raparere, meamea, pōriro

pōriro

1. (verb) to bastardise, corrupt, debase.

Kua pōriro noa iho te kōrero a te tamariki i te reo o ō rātou tīpuna (TTT 1/9/1925:290). / The speech of the children has bastardised our ancestors' language.

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2. (modifier) illegitimate, born out of wedlock.

Ka taea e te Kaunihera te whakawhiu te matua tāne o tētahi tamaiti pōriro, ina kitea, ina mōhiotia te pāpā (TPH 15/2/1902:4). / The Council is able to penalise the father of an illegitimate child when he's found and when the father is known.

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3. (noun) illegitimate child, bastard.

Ko te nuinga o ngā tamariki he pōriro (TP 1/6/1902:1) / The majority of the children were illegitimate children.

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Synonyms: tīraumoko, raparere, meamea

pokotiwha

1. (interjection) a very strong curse, an insulting swear word, an expression of anger or a curse expressing a lack of desire to do something. The strength of the word depends on the ferocity of the delivery by the speaker.

Pokotiwha ana ngā poaka a te kai hamuti rā. Tīkina taku pū! (HKK 1999:93). / Damn the pigs of that bugger. Fetch my gun!

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kai a te ahi

1. (interjection) bugger - a strong curse indicating anger or hatred towards someone or something equivalent to strong expletives in English. The strength of emotions usually associated with the use of the Māori words is not conveyed in a literal translation in English. However, the strength of the phrase depends on the ferocity of the delivery by the speaker.

(Te Pihinga Textbook (Ed. 2): 106; Te Pihinga Audio Tapes/CDs (Ed. 2): exercise 40;)

Pōkokohua kai a te ahi! E kī, e kī ka haere koe ki reira raweke ai i te tāne a tētahi atu. Ka whakamā te uwha kurī i a koe! (HKK 1999:91). / What a bitch! Well, well, you went there to have it off with someone else's husband. A female dog would be ashamed of you!

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2. (noun) so-and-so, bugger.

Rangi: He tino kino ngā kōrero a Hone mōu. Pare: Hei aha māku ngā kōrero a tēnā kai a te ahi? (HKK 1999:91). / Rangi: It's terrible what Hone says about you. Pare: What do I care what that bugger says?

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upokokōhua

1. (interjection) very strong curse, an insulting swear word, an expression of anger or a curse expressing a lack of desire to do something. The strength of emotions usually associated with the use of the Māori word is not conveyed in a literal translation (i.e. boiled head) in the English. Because the head is tapu in traditional Māori society, to boil it would have been the ultimate insult. However, the strength of the word depends on the ferocity of the delivery by the speaker.

kai a te kurī

1. (interjection) bugger - a strong curse indicating anger or hatred towards someone or something equivalent to strong expletives in English. The strength of emotions usually associated with the use of the Māori words is not conveyed with a literal translation in the English. However, the strength of the phrase depends on the ferocity of the delivery by the speaker.

(Te Pihinga Textbook (Ed. 2): 106; Te Pihinga Audio Tapes/CDs (Ed. 2): exercise 40;)

Pōkokohua kai a te kurī! Ka kīia atu me mutu te taraiwa haurangi, auare ake. Nā kua mate i a koe taku mokopuna. Kia mate atu ko koe! (HKK 1999:92). / You bastard! You were told that you must stop driving drunk, but you didn't listen. Now you've killed my grandchild. You should have died!

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2. (modifier) damn, damnable, vile.

Kua mōhiotia nuitia te kino, kino, kino rawa o te tupeka, koia i whakaarahia ai e te Runanga Ruānuku o te Kuīni ngā ture hei patu i tērā taru kai a te kuri (KO 15/7/1884:7). / It is generally known how extremely bad tobacco is and that's why the laws have been raised by the Privy Council to destroy that damn weed.

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3. (noun) so-and-so.

Ka kore anō e aro i tērā kai a te kurī, nō reira kaua rawa atu māna te kī mai me aha. / That 'so and so' doesn't have a clue, so no way should he be telling us what to do.
Pare: E kī ana a Te Rerenga he koretake rawa atu tō tātou kōhanga reo. Rangi: Ka kore anō tēnā kai a te kurī e mōhio (HKK 1999:92). / Pare: Te Rerenga says that our Kōhanga Reo is absolutely useless. Rangi: That bastard wouldn't know.

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pōkokohua

1. (verb) (-tia) to curse, cuss.

Kia kī te puku i te waipiro, tino kino te kangakanga ki te tangata, ka pōkokohuatia e ia ahakoa ko wai (EM 2002:19). / When he had a stomach full of alcohol he was terrible at swearing and cursing people, no matter who they were.

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See also pokokōhua


2. (interjection) very strong curse, an insulting swear word, an expression of anger or a curse expressing a lack of desire to do something. The strength of emotions usually associated with the use of the Māori word is not conveyed in a literal translation (i.e. boiled head) in the English. Because the head is tapu in traditional Māori society, to boil it would have been the ultimate insult. However, the strength of the word depends on the ferocity of the delivery by the speaker.

(Te Pihinga Textbook (Ed. 2): 106; Te Pihinga Audio Tapes/CDs (Ed. 2): exercise 40;)

Ka tīwaha mai tētahi o ngā koroua o Tāwhaki, "Pōkokohua mā, me mutu ēnā mahi kōhuru." (TWK 1:31). / One of Tāwhaki's granduncles called out, "You buggers, stop those illegal activities."

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3. (noun) strong term expressing contempt for someone.

Ka titiro a Tio ki a ia, ki ētahi hoki o ōna hoa, me te whakaaro. "Kua raru mātau i te pōkokohua rā, i a Heramia." (TWK 28:17) / Joe looked at him and to some of his companions and expressed his opinion, "We've been done in by that bugger, Heramia."

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pokokōhua

1. (verb) (-tia) to curse.

Ka kōrero atu tētahi o ngā koroua o Waihau, "Ko wai ēnā e pokokōhuatia nā e koe? (TWK 1:31). / One of the elderly men of Waihau said, "Who are those that you are swearing at?"

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2. (interjection) a very strong curse, an insulting swear word, an expression of anger or a curse expressing a lack of desire to do something. The strength of emotions usually associated with the use of the Māori word is not conveyed in a literal translation (i.e. boiled head) in the English. Because the head is tapu in traditional Māori society, to boil it would have been the ultimate insult. However, the strength of the word depends on the ferocity of the delivery by the speaker.

(Te Pihinga Textbook (Ed. 2): 106; Te Pihinga Audio Tapes/CDs (Ed. 2): exercise 40;)

Pokokōhua! Kua ua anō (HKK 1999:93). / Bugger! It's raining again.

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See also pōkokohua

pōkōtiwha

1. (interjection) a very strong curse, an insulting swear word, an expression of anger or a curse expressing a lack of desire to do something. The strength of the word depends on the ferocity of the delivery by the speaker.

(Te Pihinga Textbook (Ed. 2): 106; Te Pihinga Audio Tapes/CDs (Ed. 2): exercise 40;)

I te titiro tonu mai te pōkōtiwha ki a au! / The bugger was still looking at me!

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See also pokotiwha

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