Tatau
/təˈtaʊ/noun
A traditional Polynesian tattoo, or the practice of marking the skin in this way.
Did you know?The English word “tattoo” is widely traced to Tahitian tatau, recorded by European voyagers in the eighteenth century; the practice carried social, spiritual, and genealogical meaning.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Polynesian
Proto-Polynesian
*tatau
“To mark, strike, or apply repeated blows; reconstructed ancestor of Polynesian tattoo terms.”
Before 1769
Tahitian
tatau
“To tattoo or create traditional bodily markings.”
18th Century
Tahitian
tatau
“A tattooing practice encountered by European voyagers in the Pacific.”
1770s
English
tattoo
“An English borrowing adapted from Polynesian tatau, referring to permanent skin marking.”
Modern English
English
tatau
“A Polynesian tattoo or traditional tattooing practice, especially in cultural and anthropological contexts.”