whakairo
1. (verb) (-hia,-tia) to carve, ornament with a pattern, sculpt.
He mea whakairo hoki, he mea kōwhaiwhai, he mea tukutuku, hei pupuri i te ātanga, i te wehi, i te haratau o ērā taonga a ō tātau tīpuna i roto i tēnei o ngā whare o te Atua (TTT 1/12/1925:336). / And it was carved and decorated with rafter paintings and lattice-work to retain the beauty, awesomeness and relevance of those treasures of our ancestors in this particular house of God.
Synonyms: whakairoiro, tārai
2. (modifier) carved, carving.
He tohunga whakairo rongonui a Hōri Pukehika (TTR 1996:147). / Hōri Pukehika was a noted carver.
3. (noun) carving.
Ko te hui i Ngāruawāhia i karangatia hei whakatūtataki i ngā whakaaro o ngā iwi o te motu, hei whakangāwari i ngā huarahi e kotahi ai, hei whakanui i te tomokanga o te whare i āta hangaia ki ngā whakairo, ki ngā tukutuku, ki ngā kōwhaiwhai (TTT 1/6/1929:1006). / The gathering at Ngāruawāhia was called to meet the wishes of tribes of the country, to pave the way to unite, and to celebrate the opening of the house which was carefully constructed with carvings, lattice-work panels and rafter paintings.
