kōnatunatu

Maori

Etymology

From kō- +‎ natunatu, the latter a reduplication of natu “to mix, to stir”. Compare also with semantic evolution of Malay kacau meaning both “to mix” and “to agitate (of the heart, feelings)”.

Verb

kōnatunatu (passive kōnatunatuhia)

1. to stir up, to agitate, to disturb

   Synonyms: awhe, nanape, whakahioi, whakakarangi, whakakeukeu

2. to unsettle, to unnerve

   Synonym: whakahārangi

3. to disconcert

Further reading

• Williams, Herbert William (1917) “kōnatunatu”, in A Dictionary of the Maori Language, page 156
• “kōnatunatu” in John C. Moorfield, Te Aka: Maori–English, English–Maori Dictionary and Index, 3rd edition, Longman/Pearson Education New Zealand, 2011, →ISBN.