Welcome to Kapiti – sorry about the missing macrons . . .

Someone appears to have taken offence to – and then literally taken – the macron on Ka¯piti’s welcome signs, again.

The tiny line that formed part of the district’s welcome signs on State Highway 1 at Paeka¯ka¯riki and O¯ taki was painted out over the Christmas period.

Macrons are the horizontal lines above some vowels that are used to indicate a longer vowel sound.

It was the third time in six months the signs had been defaced, a Ka¯piti Coast District Council spokeswoman said. While a graffiti-proof sealant was applied the last time, there would still be costs involved with cleaning the signs.

The macron was adopted in 2010 by the council in all official papers, publications, maps and signage. But it has been a source of contention for some who believe that Ka¯piti spelt with a macron translates to ‘‘cabbage’’ in English.

The two signs that bookend the district were erected in 2011 at a cost of between $7000 and $10,000. A layer of thick black spray paint was used to cover the macrons over Christmas.

Ma¯ori Language Commission acting chief executive Tuehu Harris said that taking a macron, or tohuto¯, away from a Ma¯ori word spelled correctly was a bit like undotting an i or uncrossing a t.

In 2010, following the council’s controversial decision to use the macron, the commission endorsed both spellings of the word. But it was aware that local iwi had historical information and evidence, including local pronunciation that the macron was correct. ‘‘According to local iwi, Ka¯piti is a variant form of a¯piti, meaning ‘to put together’ or ‘place side by side’.’’

Ka¯piti Coast Deputy Mayor Janet Holborrow said she was unhappy that the signs had been targeted again. ‘‘It is disappointing to see people disrespecting the Ma¯ori name for our district.’’