Etymologically
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taboo

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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