See also: Mahi and mahí

English

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Etymology

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Borrowed from Maori mahi.

Noun

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mahi (uncountable)

  1. (New Zealand) the work required to complete a task
    • 2021 December 2, “Unvaccinated private boat owners a risk to Aotea's community - iwi”, in Radio NZ[2]:
      It's[sic] spokesperson Leonie Howie did not want to be interviewed but said they "will do the mahi" when it comes to trying to both encourage vaccinations as well as managing any health risks to the community when visitors arrive.

Usage notes

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Often found in the phrase do the mahi.

See also

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Hawaiian

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Etymology

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From Proto-Polynesian *mafi (strong, powerful, energetic, hardworking).

Pronnunciation

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  • IPA(key): /ˈma.hi/, [ˈmɐ.hi]

Verb

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mahi

  1. to cultivate, to farm

Derived terms

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Noun

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mahi

  1. farm, plantation

Maori

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Etymology

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From Proto-Polynesian *mafi (strong, powerful, energetic, hardworking).

Verb

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mahi (passive mahia or mahingia)

  1. to work, do, perform, make, accomplish, practise, raise (money)

Noun

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mahi

  1. work, job, employment, trade (work), practice, occupation, activity, exercise, operation, function
  2. abundance, lots of, many, heaps of

Derived terms

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Descendants

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  • English: mahi

Tahitian

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Etymology

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From Proto-Polynesian *masi₁ (compare with Maori māhī (to ferment) and Samoan masi)[1][2] from Proto-Oceanic *maqasin (salt) (compare with Tongan māsima, Samoan māsima and Fijian masima all “salt”) from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *(ma-)qasin (compare with Malay masin (salty) and Tagalog asin (salt)).[1][2]

Noun

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mahi

  1. a meal of fermented ripe breadfruit[3]

References

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  1. 1.0 1.1 Ross Clark and Simon J. Greenhill, editors (2011), “masi.1”, in POLLEX-Online: The Polynesian Lexicon Project Online
  2. 2.0 2.1 Ross, Malcolm D., Pawley, Andrew, Osmond, Meredith (1998) The lexicon of Proto-Oceanic, volume 1: Material Culture, Canberra: Australian National University, →ISBN, pages 158-60
  3. ^ Serra-Mallol, Christophe (2012) Dictionnaire des cultures alimentaires[1], →ISBN, pages 112-4

Further reading

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