taboo
English
/təˈbuː/
noun
Definitions
- An inhibition or ban that results from social custom or emotional aversion.
- (in Polynesia) Something which may not be used, approached or mentioned because it is sacred.
Etymology
Borrowed from Tongan (Tonga Islands) tapu (prohibited, sacred) derived from Proto-Polynesian *tapu derived from Proto-Oceanic *tabu derived from Proto-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian *tambu.
Origin
Proto-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian
*tambu
Gloss
Timeline
Distribution of cognates by language
Geogrpahic distribution of cognates
Cognates and derived terms
- nontaboo English
- tabooer English
- tabooless English
- taboolessness English
- tabooness English
- Tabu German
- Tabubruch German
- Tabuthema German
- tabu Hungarian
- tabui Hungarian
- tabuit Hungarian
- tabuk Hungarian
- tabum Hungarian
- tabun Hungarian
- tabut Hungarian
- taboe Dutch, Flemish
- taboewoord Dutch, Flemish
- табу Russian
- tabú Spanish, Castilian
- タブー Japanese
- tabu Polish
- tabu Danish
- tabu Serbo-Croatian
- tabú Icelandic
- tabu Slovak
- tabu Lithuanian
- jabwi Marshallese
- tambu Tok Pisin
- kapu Hawaiian
- tapu Maori
- *tapu Proto-Polynesian
- *tabu Proto-Oceanic
- tabu Fijian
- *tambu Proto-Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian
- tapu Rapa Nui
- tapu Samoan
- tapu Tongan (Tonga Islands)
- *tambu Proto-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian
- tapu Tahitian