taboo

Pronunciation

• IPA: /təˈbuː/, /tæˈbuː/^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Tongan tabu (“under prohibition, forbidden”),^[2][3][4][5] first used in English by Captain James Cook in 1777, in the account of his voyage to the Friendly Islands (Tonga).^[2][5][4] Similar words exist in other Polynesian languages, such as Hawaiian kapu;^[2][5] Etymonline doubts the explanation of Tongan tabu from ta “mark” and bu “especially”.^[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

Set apart or consecrated for a special purpose; forbidden, inviolable or cursed (1777).^[6][4][5][3]

Semantic evolution

In Polynesian languages the word is generally an adjective; its use as a noun and as a verb are English innovations, both found in Cook in 1777.^[4][2][6][3] By 1791 the verb meant to forbid something by social influence,^[6] and from 1826 the adjective was used figuratively of anything banned by custom or good taste.^[6] In 1883 anthropologists extended the noun to similar customs among other peoples.^[6]

Timeline

• 1777 – adjective, noun and verb, of Polynesian prohibitions.^[6][4][3]
• 1791 – verb, to forbid by social influence.^[6]
• 1826 – adjective, figurative use.^[6]
• 1883 – in anthropology, similar customs elsewhere.^[6]

Modern meaning

Adjective

1. Forbidden by social custom or as improper.
2. Set apart as sacred and forbidden for general use.

Noun

1. A ban or inhibition resulting from social custom or aversion.
2. A prohibition, especially in Polynesia, on using, approaching or mentioning something sacred.

Verb

1. To forbid or place under a taboo; to avoid as taboo.

Usage notes

The spelling tabu is also used.^[3][7][4]

References

1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1992), 3rd ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin
3. ^ a b c d e Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (2003), 11th ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
4. ^ a b c d e f Barnhart, Robert K., ed. (1995), The Barnhart Concise Dictionary of Etymology, New York: HarperCollins
5. ^ a b c d e Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
6. ^ a b c d e f g h i Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
7. ^ Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary (1999), 2nd ed., New York: Random House