M

ma
(prep.) for (found in some cases instead of mo)
ma'a
to know, to understand. ma'a tahaga, to know something through one's own knowledge, without having been taught by someone else.
maaga
  1. chick.
  2. maaga hâgai (or simply maaga) adoptive child.
  3. fishing bait (this is the general term; see moroki, maúnu o mamama. )
maahu
  1. steam, vapour, evaporation (but especially the steam that rises upon opening the earth oven).
  2. older brother, older brother's childen (those of a younger brother are called potu or hagupotu )
ma'ama'a
  1. stupid, demented, drunk; ma'ama'a-á te puoko o tou tagata era, that man is not right in the head
  2. light (of weight); huhuru ma'ama'a, light feathers
maara
flat coastal area usable as landing stage.
maari
rope, thick string. Pu maari, holes where ropes were kept at Rano Raraku.
ma'ea
stone, rock.
ma'eha
brightness, bright, to lighten, to brighten up; ku ma'eha-á, it has already lightened up.
maemae
pale (of face, from fright, illness, etc.); insufficiently cooked.
maga
branch (of tree).
magai
fishhook (made of stone or of bone, much more curved inward than the type of hook called rou).
magahaiga
part of the arm near the armpit, armpit.
magamaga
  1. finger ( rima matu'a neanea, thumb; tuhi henua, index finger; roaroa tahaga, middle finger; tuhia háûa, ring finger; komaniri-komanara, little finger).
  2. a seaweed (shaped like small fingers).
magaro
gentle, mild; tagata magaro, mild-tempered person; vai magaro, fresh water.
mageo
bitter, sour, acid; ava mageo, strong liquor; (fig.) oone mageo, unhealthy land; ko te mageo, te tokerau, the cold winds of the winter season (arch.)
magerogero
to feel an itch, to feel itchy.
magó
spotted dogfish, samll shark.
magugu
anus.
magúgúgúgu
tough, half raw, not well cooked.
magugu-puro
niggardly, stingy, miserly.
mahaga
baby (when able to stand by itself; the five stages of a baby's development are: kaukau, puepe. tahuri. totoro. mahaga).
mahaki
  1. companion, colleague; mo hatu o mahaki, for our companions' success (or happiness) (arch.)
  2. a fish (of small size).
mahana
  1. tepid, lukewarm, warm; vai mahana, warm water.
  2. to stop raining; he-mahana te ûa, the rain has stopped.
mahani
to get used to something, to get on with someone, to follow a custom (good or bad); mahani-á au ki te ga me'e nei, I am used to living with these people.
maharo
to admire something, to be astonished, to watch something with delight, interest, or amazement. maharoga, object of admiration.
maheo
pus.
mahera
to cheat (of children playing).
mahia
transfer of a gift (when at a party someone is offered gifts and passes them on to others).
mahiahia
light sea breeze.
mahiha
hangnail (skin).
mahigo
family (in the widest meaning), vassals, group of friends.
mahimahi
a fish.
mahina
moon; mahina omotohi, full moon; mahina ohiro, new moon.
mahora
flat area.
mahore
a fish (small, silver-coloured).
mahu
to begin to heal (of an injury).
mahú
decent, proper, self-controlled, chaste; tagata mahú, ina ekó oho i tu'a i te vî'e he is a decent man who does not chase women.
mahuna
small skin tumours, pimples.
mahute
a tree (Boussonetia papyrifera) formerly more abundant on the island, the fibres of which were used for clothing (see nua and hami).
mai
  1. (prep.) from, since; mai aganirá pemu'a from now on.
  2. before, prior to (referring to a future event certain to occur); mai ta'e oho au ki-Hiva, prior to my leaving for the continent (note the use of the negative, lit. "before I do not go…").
  3. short for ka-avai-mai, mai te kahu, give me the dress.
  4. hither (movement towards the speaker); ka-ho-mai ( = ka-oho-mai). come here! welcome! hoki-mai-á e îa, he has come back; ina kai garo'a-mai, he cannot understand it; ka-to'o-mai, come and get it;
maîare
empty-handed (said jokingly to someone who comes back from a fishing trip empty-handed).
maîka
banana (Musa sapientum). Ancient varieties were called ri'o, hihi, korotea, pia, pukapuka, naho'o.
maikuku
nail, hoof.
maitaki
clean, neat, pure, pretty, nice, beautiful, handsome. tagata rima maitaki, clean-handed man, correct man.
Makemake
Makemake (the main god and creator).
makenukenu
to beat (of pulse). he makenukenu te ûaûa (o te kakari rima), the pulse (of the wrist) beats.
makere
an insect.
maki
lymphatic ganglion.
maki'iki'i
to be covered in tiny things such as seeds or similar minuscule objects (of things).
makituu
clitoris.
makohe
a bird (dark, white-breaster, long-winged sea bird).
mako'i
a tree (Thespesia populnea), the fruit of this tree, any tough inedible fruit, sandalwood fruit: mako'i nau opata.
mako'iko'i
kidney.
mâkona
to eat one's fill, to be satisfied.
makota
jealous.
makua
physiognomy, physical appearance, face, visage. te makua o te poki era pehe makua o toona matu'a, that child resembles his father. ko te repa maitaki, te makua pe Tagaroa what a fine lad, he is the spit and image of Tagaroa.
makupuna
grandson, granddaughter, grandchild.
mama
  1. to chew.
  2. to mouth-feed (arch.) he-mama i te vai tôa koia ko te tiapito kiroto ki te haha o te poki, she mouth-feeds the child with sugarcane juice together with tiapito juice.
  3. a sea mollusc (with an eight-horned shell).
mamae
illness, pain, to be ill or in pain, afflicted. tagata mamae, the sick.
mamahi
to argue, to quarrel, dispute, quarrel (see tatake ).
mamaiá
to make a mistake; ku-mamaiá-koe you are wrong.
mamahu
gentle, meek (also mahú); ta'e he mamahu ko koe e-ta'e me'e tako'a ena i taau, how very gentle you are, you do not do to others as they do to you.
mamama
  1. bait (finely minced, it is deposited on top of the fishhook, wrapped in the line itself). hau mamama, fishing line in which the bait is tied.
  2. mamama niuhi shark.
mamara
  1. ill fame, bad reputation. kope mamara, suspicious youngster.
  2. way of living, habits.
  3. bad-tempered; e-û i koe, ko te korohua ena, korohua mamara; raá mo rivariva, raá mo riri. be careful with that old fellow, for he is bad-tempered; some days he is fine, some days he is cranky.
  4. sling stone.
mâmari
egg, fish roe. mâmari ata rauhau, last small egg laid by a hen before she turns broody.
mamoe
ewe, lamb (Tahitian term).
mana
  1. spiritual force, magical creative power, attributed to divine beings, kings and some other persons.
  2. to turn up at an opportune time, to come unexpected, all of a sudden, as if by magic.
manana
to come out on an impulse, or spontaneously (of things); he-manana-mai ki haho te vânaga, words slip out (which should not be said, or are secret); he manana te tagi, to burst into tears.
manaraga
to exist or to manifest oneself without external intervention. Te Atua me'e manaraga, ina oona hakaaraga; me'e ta'e manaraga te hetu'u, te henua; me'e aga o te Atua. God exists of his own, He has no procreator; the stars and the earth do not exist by themselves, they are the work of God. Kahu manaraga, clothing out of nowhere (said when you find strange clothes in your house, stolen by someone without your knowledge).
manava
abdomen, belly, (fig.) affection, sensitivity, feelings; manava more, grief; manava mate, infatuated, in love (with something); ku-ká-á te manava, flared up, infuriated, irate; he-kava te manava, offended, to turn sour, embittered (see also hatu (manava hatu ).
manavai
hollow where rainwater accumulates; anciently, small, round gardens, preferably situated in low shady spots, where the mahute tree was grown.
mana'u
to think, to remember, thought, memory; ana noho au i Hiva, he topa-hakaou-mai te mana'u mo toou, when I am on the Continent, I will remember you; he-uru te mana'u rake rake, to be full of negative thoughts (v.g. despair); ku uru-á te mana'u rakerake, ina ekó mana'u hakaou i te me'e rivariva; e-ohonó, he-hakamate atu i a îa, he has become full negative thoughts, he no longer remembers the good things, he just goes and is killing himself.
manega
cliff, dangerous pass, difficult climb.
manege
biggish, largish (between itiiti and nuinui); kumara manege, a large sweet potato.
maniga
to feel acidity on one's teeth: maniga-á te niho.
maniri
  1. to become numb with cold, to grow cold; he-maniri te hakari, the corpse grows cold; ku-maniri-á te kai, the food has grown cold.
  2. to go to sleep (of a limb), to become numb; ku-maniri-á tooku va'e, my foot has gone to sleep, has become numb.
  3. to feel dizzy; ku-maniri-á te puoko, I feel dizzy (lit.: [my] head has become dizzy).
manu
  1. bird; manu uru, bird figure (like the drawings or wooden figures once found in caves and houses); manu va'e e-há, four-legged bird (name given to the first sheep introduced to the island).
  2. insect. manupatia, wasp.
  3. bird's egg: mâmari manu.
  4. wild, untamed.
  5. song in which is expressed the desire to kill someone, or in which a crime is confessed: he-tapa i te manu (see tapa ).
manunu
to be terrified, to feel overwhelmed with terror.
mao
a verb only used in ku-mao-á, fine, I agree; mao, let him be; mao, ina ekó hakatagi, let him be, don't make him cry.
maoa
to open up the earth oven and uncover the food once Sit is cooked (arch.) ina ekó maoa i te umu a Ama Anakio, you mustn't open Ama Anakio's oven, i.e. do not talk of past mistakes, don't dig up old quarrels.
Maori
name of the country of origin of Hotu Matu'a which he fled with his people following a cataclysm in a land called Hiva.
maori
wise teacher; tagata maori rogorogo, person who can recite the signs of the tablets; maori hare, house builder; maori îka, healer expert in treating fight injuries.
mara
to start rotting, going bad (e.g. a lobster, a fish). See also mamara.
mara, maramara
lump, bruise from a blow.
maramara
ember.
marama
month, light. The ancient names of the month were: Tua haro, Tehetu'upú, Tarahao, Vaitu nui, Vaitu poru, He Maro, He Anakena, Hora iti, Hora nui, Tagaroa uri, Ko Ruti, Ko Koró.
Marama
name of an ancient tribe.
mararía
barren, sterile, fruitless; henua ma raría, barren, unproductive land; aga mararía, useless, unproductive work, to fail (of an attempt): he-aga i te aga, kai rivariva, he-mararía.
mare
asthma; ku-mare-á au, I have a bout of asthma.
marego
bald; marego paka, completely bald.
mareni
water melon; mareni papaa, melon (both are modern words).
marere
to fall to pieces, to get spilled; ku marere-á te hare, the house has fallen to pieces (can also mean: it has been abandoned).
marîa
calm, fair weather at sea; marîa-á a haho a te tai, the sea is calm; marîa raparapa, sea as calm as a millpond.
marikuru
  1. a white, clayey earth.
  2. a tree (Sapindus saponaria) of which very few specimens are left.
marimoko
grimace.
maripau
testicle.
maro
a sort of small banner or pennant of bird feathers tied to a stick.
maroa
  1. to stand up, to stand.
  2. fathom (measure). See kumi.
maroke
a tall, conica hat made of mahúte material and covered with small feathers.
maruaki
to feel hungry, to be starving, hunger; he-topa te maruaki, to feel hungry.
maruhi
a paralytic.
marumaru
shady; ka-oho ki te kona marumaru, go in the shade.
mata
  1. tribe, people; te mata tûai-era-á, the ancient tribes.
  2. eye; mata ite, eyewitness.
  3. mesh: mata kupega.
  4. raw, uncooked, unripe, green, matamata, half-cooked, half-ripe.
matá
obsidian.
matagi
  1. extremity of the net where the weaving ends, left side or left corner of a house.
  2. wind. Matagi tarupa last strong, cold winds after winter, after which people started their plantations (arch.)
matakao
  1. oar.
  2. matakao uterus, womb.
matakeva
one-eyed, cross-eyed; (fam.) scatterbrain, absent-minded person who cannot find things.
mâtaki
to open.
mataku
to ge afraid.
matamata
kahi matamata, a tuna fish.
Matamea
Mars, a planet held to be of bad portent.
matamine
to wink, to signal with the eyelids.
matapea
name of a tattoo beneath the eyes.
matapia
bleariness of the eyes.
matapuku
to bud (of trees and vegetables).
matara
to come undone(of knots), to be free of obligations; ana mate te kenu, ku-matara-á taana ví'e. when the husband dies the wife is free.
Matariki
Pleiades (group of stars in the constellation of Taurus).
matato'a
tribal chieftain, chief, important person.
matu'u
  1. right side.
  2. brave man or commander of a group of warriors.
matavai
tears; he-rei i te matavai, to shed tears; he-monomono te matavai, tears come in the eyes.
mate
  1. to die; he-mamate te gagata, many people die.
  2. to faint, to lose consciousness; he-tutu ka mate ró to beat someone senseless (often used hyperbole).
  3. to feel an overwhelming desire, to be dying for; he mate ki te vai, to be dying for a drink of water.
  4. manava mate, see manava.
  5. to be overwhelmed with pain: mate-á i te mamae.
matega
death.
matié
a creeping graminaceous (Cynodon dactylon).
matiro
a fish.
matou
we, us (see grammar).
matu
(exclam.) let's go!
matu'a
  1. father (also matu'a tamâroa); matu'a hâgai, adoptive father or mother; matu'a ké, uncle, aunt, close relative.
  2. part of a net from which the weaving started: te matu'a o te kupega.
matuku
a fish, of a rosy colour.
mau
  1. very, highly; ûka keukeu mau, very hard-working girl.
  2. to be plentiful; he-mau to te kaiga, the island abounds in food.
  3. properly.
ma'u
  1. to carry, to transport; he-ma'u-mai, to bring; he-ma'u-atu, to remove, ma'u tako'a, to take away with oneself; te tagata hau-ha'a i raro, ina ekó ma'u-tako'a i te hauha'a o te kaiga nei ana mate; bienes terrenales cuando muere. --> a rich man in this world world cannot take his earthly belongings with him when he dies.
  2. to fasten, to hold something fast, to be firm; ku ma'u-á te veo, the nail holds fast.
  3. to contain, to hold back; kai ma'u te tagi i roto, he could not hold his tears back.
máûa
the two of us (oneself and a third person, second person excluded. See grammar) ka-noho koe he-oho máûa ki uta, you stay here, I am going up with him.
maúga
  1. last; aga mauga o te Ariki o Hotu Matu'a, King Hotu Matua's last work.
  2. hill, mountain.
maúi
left side.
maúku
pasture, grass.
ma'uma'u vânaga
to tell tales, to spread gossip.
maúnu
part of a fish used directly as a bait, and which is stuck on the hook without having been ground.