Taboo Came Into English From Tongan
A taboo is something forbidden by social custom. Captain Cook brought the word back from Polynesia in 1777.
A taboo is something prohibited by social or religious custom rather than by law. The word has a precise entry point: James Cook recorded Tongan *tabu* in his 1777 journal, describing things set apart as forbidden or sacred, and it entered English almost immediately. It is one of the few Polynesian words in everyday English, alongside *tattoo*, *ukulele* and *mana*. In Polynesian use *tabu* covered both the sacred and the forbidden, which are closer than English usually allows.
- A social prohibition. *A cultural taboo.*
- Forbidden. *A taboo subject.*
- Tongan — *tabu*. *The source.*
- Cook's journal — 1777. *First recorded.*
- Tapu — the Maori form. *Tapu.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | taboo | A taboo. |
| Plural | taboos | Taboos. |
| Adjective | taboo | Taboo topics. |
| Verb | taboo | Tabooed. |
| Tongan | tabu | Forbidden. |
- The subject remains taboo.Prohibition.
- Cook recorded it in 1777.History.
- Tabu meant sacred and forbidden.Meaning.
Polynesian words in English
- Taboo — from Tongan *tabu*
- Tattoo — from Tahitian *tatau*
- Ukulele — Hawaiian, meaning jumping flea
- Mana — spiritual power or prestige
- Aloha — greeting and farewell, and much more besides
Tongan *tabu*, forbidden or set apart, recorded by Captain James Cook in 1777.
Where does taboo come from?
From Tongan tabu, recorded by Captain Cook in 1777. It described things set apart as either sacred or forbidden.
Are tattoo and taboo both Polynesian?
Yes. Tattoo comes from Tahitian tatau and taboo from Tongan tabu, both brought back by eighteenth-century voyages.