kau
1. (particle) alone, by oneself, solitarily, bare, empty, naked, without hindrance, unreservedly, to no purpose, purely and simply, solely, exclusively, only, merely, just, idle, inactive, for no particular reason, in vain, to no avail, helplessly, none at all, very, seriously, totally - a manner particle indicating the absence of other factors. Where kau follows a verb in the passive it will take a passive ending also, usually -tia. In this situation the passive ending may be dropped from the verb, but not from kau. As with other manner particles in Māori, while having a general overall meaning, kau can be translated in a variety of ways, depending on the context.
(Te Pihinga Textbook (Ed. 2): 91-92;)
Rapu kau ana a Tāwhiri-mātea, kua hunaia e Papa-tū-ā-nuku ana tamariki. / Tāwhiri-mātea searched everywhere, but Papa-tū-ā-nuku had hidden her children.
Ka whaowhia te kūmara ki roto, kī tonu, kore rawa he wāhi i āputa, arā i takoto kau noa iho, kī tonu (JPS 1926:95). / The kūmara were put in it, and filled it up, there was no open space remaining, that is it was absolutely full.
Synonyms: nahe, tata, tika, tou, noa, noa iho, tōkeke, noa ake, tonu, ia, ia rā, heipū, mārie, mārika, mārire, kāhore kau, anake, anahe, ake, pakiwhara, kiri kau, kirikau, tahanga, hahake
2. (particle) as soon as, no sooner had - a slight variation from the general meaning above where kau is used to indicate immediacy.
Utua kautia te moni tuatahi ki a Te Teira me tōna iwi, tukuna atu ana e te kāwanatanga ngā kairūri (TTR 1990:291). / As soon as the first payment was made to Te Teira and his people, the government sent in the surveyors.
2. (verb) (-ria) to swim, wade.
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.'
Synonyms: kautū
raho kau
1. adulterer - an idiomatic term used in Tainui.
Wahine 1: Ei, kua rongo koe mō Hōri? Kua wehe tana wahine i tana whāwhā haere. Wahine 2: Ehara koia te wahi tuatahi ki taku rongo. Wahine 1: Raho kau! Kaitoa kua whakarērea ia (HKKT 2011:29). / Woman 1: Hey, have you heard about George? His wife has left him because of his sleeping around. Wahine 2: That's not the first woman I've heard about. Woman 1: Adulterer! Serves him right that she's left him.
kāhore kau
1. (negative) none at all, never.
kau kiore
1. (noun) backstroke.
Synonyms: kau tīraha, kauhoe tīraha
waha kau
1. (noun) unreliable talk, rumour, empty talk.
E kōrerotia ana kai te hiahia a Waikato kia whakamātau ki te tango mai i ōna whenua kua riro i te Pākehā. Otirā he waha kau ia, he kōrero noa iho (TWM 14/6/1866:100). / It is being said that Waikato want to try to take back its lands that the Pākehā have obtained, but it's only rumour, just talk.
Synonyms: kōrero takuahi, tara, wawara, kōhimuhimu, kohimu, kōhumuhumu, tūtara
2. (noun) unreliable person - a person who does not keep their word.
Kāore noa anō kia tae mai tana reta e whakaū ana i tāna i kī ai - he waha kau pea (HJ 2015:39). / Her letter has in fact not yet arrived confirming what she said - perhaps she's an unreliable person.
2. (noun) medley (swimming).
Synonyms: kau tāwhitiwhiti
2. (noun) freestyle (swimming).
2. (noun) medley (swimming).
Synonyms: kau takawhitiwhiti
2. (noun) backstroke.
Synonyms: kau kiore, kauhoe tīraha
mīti kau
1. (loan) (noun) beef.
See also pīwhi
kiri kau
1. (modifier) naked, nude.
Ka kī ngā puku, ka hoki anō ki te kaukau, engari ka tauwhāinga ko wai rā e rere wawe ki te kōpua. I te kaha o te oma, o te tauwhāinga, kāhore anō kia tata ki te wai, ka tīmata te ruke i ngā kākahu, ka whārona te kākahu, tae rawa atu ki te wai kua tū kiri kau (TTT 1/7/1928:815). / When their stomachs were full they returned to have another swim, but they competed as to who would run to the the pool the first. Because they ran and competed so energetically, before they had reached the water they had begun throwing off their clothes, leaving them in heaps, and by the time they reached the water they were naked.
2. (noun) nakedness, nudity, undress.
Ka haere me te tokotoko, ko te kiri kau anake, kāore he kahu (JPS 1914:137). / He went off with the spear, quite naked, with no clothing.
arero kau
1. (intransitive verb) to pay lip service.
Ko tō tātou āhua e pēnei ana, ko te whakahē ki te hoko a te Kāwanatanga kei te arero kau, ko ngā ringaringa e hiahia noa ana ki te kaute i ngā moni mō tōna whenua (TWMNT 21/3/1876:73). / Our nature is that with our tongues only we condemn the purchases by the Government, while our hands itch to count the money we receive in payment for the land.
2. (noun) empty words, mere words, one who throws around empty words.
He arero kau, he nui te kōrero, ko te mahi ia, korekore nei (HJ 2017:18). / He’s one who throws around empty words, but there’s no action.
hore kau
1. (negative) not, never.
He whakaaro nō te kāwanatanga i te āhua kaha hē o aua whenua hei mahi pāmu, hore kau i whakaaetia (TTR 1998:136). / The government considered those lands as unsuitable for farming, so the offer was declined.
Synonyms: weta, rawa, nōwhea, tōu ene, nōhea, kāhore kau, hore rawa, karekau, kaua, kārekau, kāhore, kore, hore, horekau, kāore, kāre, tē
roa kau
1. before very long, after a time, not long after, it wasn't long before.
Ā, muri iho i te whawhaitanga a Rua mā rā, ka noho nei a Tama rātou ko ōna hoa i Maketū, me ngā tamariki. Roa kau, ka marara haere (JPS 1985:134). / After the battle of Rua and his party, Tama and his companions stayed at Maketū with the children. Before very long they scattered.
See also roa kau iho, roa kau ake
Synonyms: roa kau iho, roa kau ake
