natu

Etymology

From Proto-Oceanic *natu (“to knead, to mix with water” – compare with Tahitian natu “to squish with one's hands, to pinch [esp. playfully]”, Tongan natu “to knead”, Fijian natu “to grind with mortar and pestle”).^[1][2]

Verb

natu (passive natua or natuhia)

1. to stir, to mix

   Synonyms: ranu, whakaranu, whāranu

References

Further reading

• Williams, Herbert William (1917) “natu, nanatu”, in A Dictionary of the Maori Language, page 254
• “natu” in John C. Moorfield, Te Aka: Maori–English, English–Maori Dictionary and Index, 3rd edition, Longman/Pearson Education New Zealand, 2011, →ISBN.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈna.tu/

Pronoun

natu

1. I (first-person singular subject pronoun)

   Natu, nunupawi.

   I [myself] saw it.

   Katsa inyaunpei? Natu.

   Q: Who is it? A: It is I. (It's me.)

   Aitsa natu.

   Not I. (Count me out, I'm not interested, I object, I disagree.)

   Kapaipiyapai ipitsi amunaunki. Meyeityapai tumapai ulepe, meyeityapai tumapai usityui pessoalnaun ou. Oukaka Walama akapojatene inyaun wi: "Natu amunaunpei, maka aitsa natu numeiyeitya. Maka Arawi keyeityapai tumapai ulepe, usityui." En, umapai okapojala katahan...[sings]

   [The old chief at that time] had grown weary of his chiefly responsibilities. He no longer bothered to make bread [to distribute as a ceremonial sponsor]; nor did he bother to make manioc porridge to give his people to drink. So Walama [who was a young rising chief at that time] sang [about the other chief] in his kapojai song: "Let me be chief; I won't be lazy. My wife Arawi is industrious; she'll make plenty of manioc bread and porridge." Eh, here’s how his song goes… [sings]

2. me (first-person singular direct object pronoun)

   Kamani pinyanka natu?

   Why did you blab [about] me?

   Onupajota natu.

   [He] is staring at me.

3. my (possessive determiner)

   Hauke neke natu, akamawiu natu mama.

   When I was still an infant, my mother died.

4. mine (first-person possessive pronoun)

   Natupei?

   [Can it be] mine? [May I have it?]

References

• E. Ireland field notes. Needs to be checked by native speaker.