taboo

English

Wikipedia

Alternative forms

• tabu

Etymology

Tongan tapu (“prohibited”). The word entered English around 1777.

Pronunciation

• IPA: /təˈbuː/

Noun

taboo (plural taboos)

1. An inhibition or ban that results from social custom or emotional aversion.
   • 1922, James Frazer, The Golden Bough:

     So among the Alfoors of the island of Buru it is taboo to mention the names of parents and parents-in-law, or even to speak of common objects by words which resemble these names in sound.

   • 1974, Lawrence Durrell, Monsieur, Faber & Faber 1992, p. 213:

     The sharp differentiation of the sexes in our culture was shaped most probably by monogamy and monosexuality and their tabus.

2. (in Polynesia) Something which may not be used, approached or mentioned because it is sacred.

Translations

inhibition or ban

Chinese: Mandarin: 避忌 (cmn) (bìjì), 禁忌 (cmn) (jìnjì), 忌諱 (zh), 忌讳 (zh) (jìhuì) Croatian: tabu (hr) m. Czech: tabu (cs) n. Dutch: taboe (nl) n. Esperanto: tabuo (eo) Estonian: tabu (et) Finnish: tabu (fi) French: tabou (fr) m.

German: Tabu (de) n. Greek: ταμπού (el) (tampoú) n. Indonesian: tabu (id) Japanese: タブー (ja) (tabū), 禁忌 (ja) (きんき, kinki) Portuguese: tabú (pt) m. Russian: табу (ru) (tabú) n. (indeclinable) Spanish: tabú (es) m. Sundanese: pamali (su) Swahili: tambiko (sw) Tongan: please add this translation if you can

in Polynesia: something which may not be used

Finnish: tabu (fi) Swahili: tambiko (sw)

Tongan: please add this translation if you can

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Help:How to check translations.

Translations to be checked

French: tabou (2) m. Ancient Greek: ἄγος n.

Latin: sacer m. Maori: ārai

Adjective

taboo (comparative more taboo, superlative most taboo)

1. Excluded or forbidden from use, approach or mention.

   Incest is a taboo subject in most soap operas.

Translations

excluded or forbidden from use, approach or mention

Chinese: Mandarin: 避忌的 (zh) (bìjì de), 禁忌的 (zh) (jìnjì de), 忌諱的 (zh), 忌讳的 (zh) (jìhuì de) Finnish: tabu (fi) French: tabou (fr) m., taboue (fr) f.

German: tabu (de) Indonesian: tabu (id) Sundanese: pamali (su) Swahili: tambiko (sw) Tongan: please add this translation if you can

Verb

taboo (third-person singular simple present taboos, present participle tabooing, simple past and past participle tabooed)

1. To mark as taboo.
2. To ban.
3. To avoid.

Translations

mark as taboo

Chinese: Mandarin: 忌諱 (zh), 忌讳 (zh) (jìhuì) Finnish: merkitä (fi) tabuksi (fi)

German: tabuisieren (de) Swahili: tambiko (sw) Tongan: please add this translation if you can

ban

Chinese: Mandarin: 禁止 (zh) (jìnzhǐ) Finnish: kieltää (fi)

German: tabuisieren (de) Swahili: tambiko (sw) Tongan: please add this translation if you can

avoid

Chinese: Mandarin: 忌諱 (zh), 忌讳 (zh) (jìhuì), 避免 (zh) (bìmiǎn) Czech: tabuizovat (cs) Finnish: välttää (fi)

German: tabuisieren (de) Swahili: tambiko (sw) Tongan: please add this translation if you can

Anagrams

• aboot