whakawaha, v.t. 1. Load with a burden. Whakawahaa ana e raua a Tawhaki ki te wahie (T. 51).
2. Take up on the back. Whakawaha, e koro ma, ka haere tatou.—E ko ma, whakawa-hawaha, tatou ka haere (T. 198). Hence the following:
3. Set in motion, start. I whakawahaa he ope. Te ika i te whakawaha, the second person killed in battle. Ka whakaaki a Tarewai, “Te parahi, naku te ika i te ati.” Ka karanga a Nga-tama-kuao, “Te parahi naku te ika i te whakawaha” (W. iii, 104, where it is misprinted whakaroaha).
Williams Dictionary