Kapa

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A garment traditionally crafted from richly decorated bark cloth, symbolizing cultural identity and heritage among Pacific Islanders
2. An indigenous textile made by compressing layers of tree bark, used in ceremonial dress and reflecting distinct artistic styles in Polynesia
3. A handmade fabric derived from the bark of certain trees, often adorned with patterns that signify cultural significance and community pride in Pacific cultures

Etymology: Kapa is simply an alternative spelling of tapa, the bark cloth made across Polynesia from the inner bark of trees such as paper mulberry and breadfruit, beaten into sheets and often decorated with stamped or painted designs. The spelling "kapa" reflects the Hawaiian form of the word, where the Polynesian "t" sound has become a "k," a regular sound shift in that language, so the two spellings are really one word appearing in two island traditions. The word tapa itself was borrowed into English from Tongan, where it names the cloth, and the same root spread through Polynesian languages with the cloth-making craft. Speakers of English encountered it through European contact with the Pacific in the 18th and 19th centuries, when explorers and missionaries brought back examples of the material. Note that tapa has a separate and unrelated English history: it comes from Spanish, where it means a small snack or lid, and is a doublet of "tap." The two words share an ancestor but arrived in English by different routes and carry entirely different meanings.