Whara (i), n. 1. A plant; ? Astelia sp. but possibly applied to any plant with ensiform leaves, such as Astelia, Phormium, Typha, etc. ‖ wharanui, wharariki, wharawhara, and the use of raupo in paragraph 4, below.
2. Sail made in a special way for a war canoe. Mo te waka taua anake te ra whara; i mangungutia.
3. Floor mat.
4. A pad of raupo leaves lashed over the caulking of the rauawa of a canoe. Kua eke nga oa, kua piri te whara, kua piri te taka (W.M. xiii, 166). Whara hune, the pappus of raupo, used as caulking in a canoe. Haere koutou ki te tiki whara hune hei purupuru mo nga kowhao. This is quite distinct from the whara of leaves in the previous example, as that passage proceeds to mention the tahuna (= hune) a little later.
wharawhara, n. 1. Astelia banksii, a plant. Me he wai wharawhara e tuturu i aku kamo (S. 80).
2. Long plumes of the white heron, worn by chiefs on state occasions. Ko te mahunga tiaina ki te huia, ki te kotuku, maka te wharawhara (S. 26). ‖ waiwhara.
3. A loop of flax on the middle of the stick thrown in the niu ceremony.
4. A fish, similar to kutoro, but yellow in colour.
Williams Dictionary
Whara (ii), n. 1. Burial cave; perhaps also applied to hollow trees where bones of the dead
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are placed. Heoi te hirihiri e ngau ki Hauturu, e ngau ki te whara, ki nga puke ahua pohewa (S.).
2. Mouth of a pukaea trumpet. Ko te whara o te pukaea he mea whakataratara.
Williams Dictionary
Whara (iii), v.i. 1. Be struck, be hit accidentally. I whara toku waewae i te kamaka.—Hoki mai, e pa, i te ara ra uta, ka whara to kiri i te paratai (M. 33).
2. Be pressed, be forced. To uru mawhai ka piua e te tai, to kiri rauwhero ka whara kei muri (M. 179).
3. Be eaten, of food. He aha te kai e whara i a ia? (A proverbial expression for What will he effect?)
4. Receive a portion in the distribution of food. Kaore taua e rato, e whara (J. xx, 22). So, whara kai, take food. Kahore ano te turoro i whara kai.
whakawhara, v.t. Press, touch. Nau i whakawhara ki tou kiri tapu, a whara ki toku, nui rawa te aroha (M. 340). Mehemea ka whiti mai ko te tauarai ki nga tumanako, no mua ra hoki te whakawharanga nei (S.).
Williams Dictionary
