whakatau, v.t. 1. Cause to alight, etc. Titiro whakatau, look intently. Katahi ano taua tangata ka titiro whakatau atu (T. 61).
2. Attempt, try one's hand at. Katahi ano tona papa ka whakatau epa ake (T. 16).
3. Have recourse to. Whakatau noa iho ia ki te noho (T. 32). Katahi ano ia ka whakatau penei, “Moi !” (T. 27).
4. Imitate. Ko wai tau e whakatau nei?
5. Feign, make believe, simulate. Ka whakatau ki te kereru, ka rere.—Ka whakatauria e ia ki te kereru (W. ii, 66).
6. Go to meet, visit. Ka ki ake ki ana tamariki kia hoki atu ki Maketu ki te whakatau i ana whanaunga (T. 78).
7. Search, examine. Kua puta ke pea ia i tawhiti: katahi ia ka mea kia haere ia ki te whakatau (T. 184). Ka haere mai ki te whakatau i reira.
8. Adorn, make comely. To kiri i whakataua ki te renga horu (M. 158).
9. Put on as an ornament. Whakataua mai te awe o te toroa (M. 46).
10. Prepare, make ready. Ka whakatau i tona kanohi ki te pungarehu (Tr. vii, 48).
11. Address in formal speech, announce a formal decision, make a formal proposition. Heoi ano te putake o ta matou korero, he whakatau i a koe kia noho. Whakatau oha, make a dying speech. Whakatau-ki (generally written as one word), (a) Exclaim, say with emphasis. Katahi ia ka whakatauki atu, “Nana koutou, e whae ma,” etc. (T. 20). Ka whakatauki atu taua ruruhi ra ki a Te Huhuti, “E, e tia tonu tou humarie!” (T. 164). Ka whakatauki, “He aha tenei kai ?” (b) Utter a proverb, use for purpose of a proverb. Ko tenei manu ko te weka, e whakataukitia ana. (c) Saying, proverb, aphorism. Ka mea a Paoa, “Rahirahi tonu, kaua e matotoru”; a, mau tonu iho tenei whakatauki i a Ngati Paoa (T. 191). The form whakatauāki is also used in senses (b) and (c). Ka whakatauakitia, “E ! koia ano i mao ai; kaore, kua wheturangitia te marama” (W.M. viii, 110).
Williams Dictionary
