When you hear 'taboo' are you hearing English or Tongan?

'Taboo' is a word borrowed from Tongan 'tabu'. The word entered the English language some time around 1777.

taboo [adjective] [1777]

• forbidden to profane use or contact because of what are held to be dangerous supernatural powers
• banned on grounds of morality or taste
• banned as constituting a risk

See 'taboo' on the Loan Words Map

See more loan words from Tongan.

Etymology: Tongan 'tabu'

See more loan words from 1700s.