Taboos

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /təˈbuːz/

Definitions

1. Social prohibitions against certain behaviors, practices, or discussions that are considered unacceptable or forbidden within a culture or community
2. Restrictions placed on specific actions, topics, or relationships that are viewed as inappropriate or shameful in a societal context
3. Cultural norms that discourage engagement in particular subjects or behaviors due to their perceived negative implications or consequences

Etymology: The English word came from Tonga, though not in the form English speakers would expect. The Tongan "tapu" meant "prohibited" and also "sacred," a double sense that reflects how a forbidden thing and a holy thing were treated alike, both set apart from ordinary use. English first recorded it around 1777, when European explorers in the Pacific encountered the custom and needed a word for it. The English speakers heard the Tongan "p" as a "b," which is how the spelling "taboo" arose. The plural "taboos" is simply the plural of "taboo," used when referring to several such prohibitions. Because the word began as a description of a particular Polynesian religious practice, its move into general English, where it now covers any socially unacceptable subject, is a notable broadening of its sense. The word "kapu," from Hawaiian, is a close relative of the same root and carries the same meaning of prohibition.

Synonyms: prohibitions, restrictions, bans

Antonyms: permissions, allowances