Word journey
The word taboo
forbidden; set apart as sacred
The journey
| Form | Language | Date | Sense |
|---|---|---|---|
| *tabu | Proto-Oceanic (reconstructed) · Polynesian Religion | undated | forbidden, sacred; reconstructed |
| *tapu | Proto-Polynesian (reconstructed) · Polynesian Religion | undated | sacred, forbidden; reconstructed |
| tapu | Tongan · Polynesian Religion | 1777 CE | sacred, holy; forbidden |
| taboo | English | 1777 CE | "any thing that is forbidden" |
What is certain and what is not
Cook heard the Tongan word in 1777 and spelled it with b. The Proto-Oceanic sense was "forbidden, off limits; sacred, out of awe before spiritual forces"; the reconstructions are standard but still reconstructions.