360 Transactions. — Miscellaneous. 



ascertain if in any case it bad the signification of cross or letter 

 in Polynesia. 



The Polynesian word "tau" has many and differing signifi- 

 cations. I will deal with those which bear upon the subject in 

 hand, leaving the other meanings awhile : feeling confident that 

 if their genesis could be traced they would lead up to one primal 

 fount of original meaning. 



" Tattoo" is one of two Polynesian words adopted into Eng- 

 lish : the other word is " tapu" (such and such a subject was 

 tabooed). Tattoo, in the sense of punctured markings of the 

 skin, is a Tahitian word, derived fi'om the writings of Cook, 

 but not so written by him. He writes it as "tattow" thus 

 giving very nearly the sound which in Polynesia we write as 

 tatan. Tatau, in the sense of tattooing, is not a New Zealand 

 Maori word ; the word ta is used instead ; ta = "to tap, strike, 

 to strike the tattooing chisel with a small mallet." It should 

 not be forgotten that there is another meaning in English for 

 " tattoo," viz., a drum-beat (etymology unknown). But the idea 

 of " striking a skin (drum-head) with a stick," is common 

 to both English and Polynesian meanings of "tattoo." The 

 word tau, without the duplicate syllable, (in ta-tau,) has the 

 following meaning in New Zealand : — Tau, " to alight, to rest 

 upon" as a bird; taupua, " to rest, to support oneself;" tautari, 

 " an upright stick in the walls of a native house, supporting 

 the small battens to which the reeds are fastened ;" tauteka, " a 

 brace, a prop;" tauware, "the thwart of a canoe." Although 

 these words may have some remote connection with the idea of 

 a cross-piece, there is nothing to guide one in any way to such 

 conclusion. But in Hawaiian dialect (where the Maori t changes 

 to k*) we get a glimpse of light. Hawaiian kau, " to hang ;" " to 

 hang up," " to suspend as an article out of the way ;" " to cru- 

 cify," " to hang up as a criminal ;"t kau, " to light down upon," 

 as a bird, " to rest upon ;" " to stretch over ;" kaulua, " to put 

 two together," " to yoke together ;" kaulai, " to hangup." With 

 this idea of resting — viz., to hang upon, to hold up, we return 

 to New Zealand Maori, and find taut i net, " to hold up or support 

 a sick person;" tautoko, "to prop up or support;" tautau, "a 

 string or cluster ;" tauhokai, " a stake in a river, to which a net 

 is fastened." Most of the words, however, seem to have con- 

 nection with tying. Let us return to the cross, and see its early 

 form. The primitive ankh (cross) was a loop of cords with the 



* It would perhaps be nearer the truth to say that the sound which we 

 write in New Zealand as t is in Hawaiian written k. 



t As crucifixion is not known to have hern a Polynesian punishment, 

 this meaning of kau may perhaps be explained by the fact that in Hawaii, 

 the sacrifice, whether man, hog, or fruit, was " hunt,' up " on the tree which 

 was to be used in building a heiait (temple). This sacrifice was called kuma- 

 kalehua, 





