'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.
