4 Hutton Webster 



hibited" in a secondary sense, since sacred things and places 

 were commonly indicated in a particular manner.* The word 

 tapuai means "to abstain from all work, games, etc."^ — a trans- 

 lation which indicates how intimately the idea of abstinence was 

 associated with the notion of tapu. 



In all the Polynesian languages tapu or tabu appears to have 

 been employed primarily with an adjectival meaning, referring to 

 something holy, sacred and inviolable, or to something polluted 

 and accursed. The word, we learn, did not imply any moral 

 quality but expressed " a connection with the gods, or a separa- 

 tion from ordinary purposes, and exclusive appropriation to 

 persons or things considered sacred ; sometimes it means devoted 

 as by a vow."*^ In a derivative sense tabu came naturally to 

 signify "forbidden" or "prohibited";' and this is the word's 

 most general meaning in its anglicized form. But in anthro- 

 pological usage the term " taboo " refers, not to all negative regu- 

 lations or prohibitions, but to those only which are supported 

 by a supernatural sanction, and the violation of which is visited 

 with a supernatural punishment.^ 



The progress of comparative research has shown that concep- 

 tions very similar to the Polynesian tabu or tapu have a wide 

 prevalence in the lower culture and even amongst peoples of 

 archaic civilization. Thus the Melanesian tambu, though never 

 signifying any inherent holiness or aw fulness, does refer to the 

 sacred and unapproachable character which things may possess 



■* E. Shortland, Traditions and Superstitions of the Nezv Zcalanders,' 

 London, 1856, p. loi. 



^ E. Tregear, Maori-Polynesian Comparative Dictionary, Wellington 

 (N. Z.), 1891, p. 472. 



* William Ellis, Polynesian Researches, London, 1859, iv. 385. 

 'The proper term for "prohibit" was rahui {idem, iv. 386). 



* It would conduce to clearness if "taboo" as an Enghsh word were 

 used solely as a substantive with the corresponding verbal forms " to 

 taboo " and " tabooed." The word should not be employed as an adjective; 

 for this purpose the native tahii may be conveniently retained, since the 

 Polynesian term has a double meaning not adequately rendered by any 

 one English expression. 



