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Where does the word "taboo" come from? It comes from Tongan tabu, and was adopted directly into English (1777).
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Where does the word "taboo" come from? It comes from Tongan tabu, and was adopted directly into English (1777).
Taboo’s story begins in Tongan: tabu meant “forbidden, sacred.” Marked things set apart as sacred, forbidden, or dangerous to touch. It reached English by 1777 as taboo. Recorded by Captain James Cook during his Pacific voyages. Today, taboo means a social or religious custom prohibiting a particular practice or subject.
- Stage 1 · Tongan · pre-1800s tabu "forbidden, sacred", marked things set apart as sacred, forbidden, or dangerous to touch.
- Stage 2 · English · 1777 taboo "forbidden by social or religious custom", recorded by Captain James Cook during his Pacific voyages.