godan verb (-ku), transitive verb
thatch a roof
Traditional term for cutting and laying thatch, especially for roofs. Rare in modern daily life; mainly encountered in historical or rural contexts.
昔の農家では、自分たちで屋根を刈り葺いた。
In old farmhouses, people thatched the roofs themselves.
葺く is the general verb for roofing or thatching; 刈り葺く specifically includes the cutting of the thatch material.
Compound of 刈り (kari, 'cutting', from 刈る) and 葺く (fuku, 'to thatch, roof'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the word transparently describes the process of cutting and laying thatch.