tabu

See also: Tabu, tábu, tabú, tabù, and tabū

English

Noun

tabu (plural tabus)

1. Alternative spelling of taboo

Derived terms

• tabu search

Verb

tabu (third-person singular simple present tabus, present participle tabuing, simple past and past participle tabued)

1. Alternative spelling of taboo

Anagrams

• buat, Ṭūbā, Taub, buta, abut, tuba, Tuba, batu, Batu

Afar

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈtabu/ [ˈtʌbʊ]
• Hyphenation: ta‧bu

Noun

tábu m 

1. transition

References

• Mohamed Hassan Kamil (2015) L’afar: description grammaticale d’une langue couchitique (Djibouti, Erythrée et Ethiopie)‎^[1], Paris: Université Sorbonne Paris Cité (doctoral thesis), page 57

Comanche

Noun

tabu

1. rabbit

Czech

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈtabu]

Noun

tabu n (indeclinable)

1. taboo

Related terms

• tabuizovat

Adjective

tabu (indeclinable)

1. taboo

Further reading

• “tabu”, in Příruční slovník jazyka českého (in Czech), 1935–1957
• “tabu”, in Slovník spisovného jazyka českého (in Czech), 1960–1971, 1989
• “tabu”, in Internetová jazyková příručka (in Czech), 2008–2025

Danish

Etymology

Borrowed from English taboo, Tongan tapu.

Noun

tabu

1. taboo

Declension

Declension of tabu

neuter gender	singular		plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative	tabu	tabuet	tabuer	tabuerne
genitive	tabus	tabuets	tabuers	tabuernes

References

• “tabu” in Den Danske Ordbog

Estonian

Etymology

From English taboo, from Tongan tapu (“prohibited”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈtɑb̥u/, [ˈtɑb̥u]
• Rhymes: -ɑbu
• Hyphenation: ta‧bu

Noun

tabu (genitive tabu, partitive tabu)

1. taboo

Declension

Declension of tabu (ÕS type 17/elu, no gradation)
		singular	plural
nominative		tabu	tabud
accusative	nom.
	gen.	tabu
genitive			tabude
partitive		tabu	tabusid
illative		tappu tabusse	tabudesse
inessive		tabus	tabudes
elative		tabust	tabudest
allative		tabule	tabudele
adessive		tabul	tabudel
ablative		tabult	tabudelt
translative		tabuks	tabudeks
terminative		tabuni	tabudeni
essive		tabuna	tabudena
abessive		tabuta	tabudeta
comitative		tabuga	tabudega

Derived terms

• tabuline
• tabustama

Compounds

• tabusõna
• tabuteema

References

• tabu in Sõnaveeb (Eesti Keele Instituut)
• “tabu”, in [EKSS] Eesti keele seletav sõnaraamat [Descriptive Dictionary of the Estonian Language] (in Estonian) (online version), Tallinn: Eesti Keele Sihtasutus (Estonian Language Foundation), 2009
• “tabu”, in [VSL] Võõrsõnade leksikon [Lexicon of Foreign Words] (in Estonian) (online version, not updated), Tallinn: Eesti Keele Sihtasutus (Estonian Language Foundation), 2012

Fijian

Etymology

From Proto-Central-Pacific *tabu, from Proto-Oceanic *tabu, from Proto-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian *tambu, from Proto-Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian *tambu. Cognate with Maori tapu, Hawaiian kapu.

Adjective

tabu

1. forbidden

Finnish

Etymology

From English taboo, from Tongan tapu.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈtɑbu/, [ˈt̪ɑ̝bu]
• Rhymes: -ɑbu
• Hyphenation^(key): ta‧bu

Noun

tabu

1. taboo

Declension

Inflection of tabu (Kotus type 1/valo, no gradation)
nominative		tabu	tabut
genitive		tabun	tabujen
partitive		tabua	tabuja
illative		tabuun	tabuihin
		singular	plural
nominative		tabu	tabut
accusative	nom.	tabu	tabut
	gen.	tabun
genitive		tabun	tabujen
partitive		tabua	tabuja
inessive		tabussa	tabuissa
elative		tabusta	tabuista
illative		tabuun	tabuihin
adessive		tabulla	tabuilla
ablative		tabulta	tabuilta
allative		tabulle	tabuille
essive		tabuna	tabuina
translative		tabuksi	tabuiksi
abessive		tabutta	tabuitta
instructive		—	tabuin
comitative		See the possessive forms below.

Possessive forms of tabu (Kotus type 1/valo, no gradation)

first-person singular possessor singular plural nominative tabuni tabuni accusative nom. tabuni tabuni gen. tabuni genitive tabuni tabujeni partitive tabuani tabujani inessive tabussani tabuissani elative tabustani tabuistani illative tabuuni tabuihini adessive tabullani tabuillani ablative tabultani tabuiltani allative tabulleni tabuilleni essive tabunani tabuinani translative tabukseni tabuikseni abessive tabuttani tabuittani instructive — — comitative — tabuineni second-person singular possessor singular plural nominative tabusi tabusi accusative nom. tabusi tabusi gen. tabusi genitive tabusi tabujesi partitive tabuasi tabujasi inessive tabussasi tabuissasi elative tabustasi tabuistasi illative tabuusi tabuihisi adessive tabullasi tabuillasi ablative tabultasi tabuiltasi allative tabullesi tabuillesi essive tabunasi tabuinasi translative tabuksesi tabuiksesi abessive tabuttasi tabuittasi instructive — — comitative — tabuinesi first-person plural possessor singular plural nominative tabumme tabumme accusative nom. tabumme tabumme gen. tabumme genitive tabumme tabujemme partitive tabuamme tabujamme inessive tabussamme tabuissamme elative tabustamme tabuistamme illative tabuumme tabuihimme adessive tabullamme tabuillamme ablative tabultamme tabuiltamme allative tabullemme tabuillemme essive tabunamme tabuinamme translative tabuksemme tabuiksemme abessive tabuttamme tabuittamme instructive — — comitative — tabuinemme second-person plural possessor singular plural nominative tabunne tabunne accusative nom. tabunne tabunne gen. tabunne genitive tabunne tabujenne partitive tabuanne tabujanne inessive tabussanne tabuissanne elative tabustanne tabuistanne illative tabuunne tabuihinne adessive tabullanne tabuillanne ablative tabultanne tabuiltanne allative tabullenne tabuillenne essive tabunanne tabuinanne translative tabuksenne tabuiksenne abessive tabuttanne tabuittanne instructive — — comitative — tabuinenne third-person possessor singular plural nominative tabunsa tabunsa accusative nom. tabunsa tabunsa gen. tabunsa genitive tabunsa tabujensa partitive tabuaan tabuansa tabujaan tabujansa inessive tabussaan tabussansa tabuissaan tabuissansa elative tabustaan tabustansa tabuistaan tabuistansa illative tabuunsa tabuihinsa adessive tabullaan tabullansa tabuillaan tabuillansa ablative tabultaan tabultansa tabuiltaan tabuiltansa allative tabulleen tabullensa tabuilleen tabuillensa essive tabunaan tabunansa tabuinaan tabuinansa translative tabukseen tabuksensa tabuikseen tabuiksensa abessive tabuttaan tabuttansa tabuittaan tabuittansa instructive — — comitative — tabuineen tabuinensa

Derived terms

(compounds):

• ruokatabu
• sanatabu

Further reading

• “tabu”, in Kielitoimiston sanakirja [Dictionary of Contemporary Finnish]‎^[2] (in Finnish) (online dictionary, continuously updated), Kotimaisten kielten keskuksen verkkojulkaisuja 35, Helsinki: Kotimaisten kielten tutkimuskeskus (Institute for the Languages of Finland), 2004–, retrieved 2023-07-03

German

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /taˈbuː/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -uː

Adjective

tabu (indeclinable, predicative only)

1. taboo

   Das ist tabu.

   That’s taboo.

   • 2019, Frozen Starfall (lyrics and music), “Sommertrip”‎^[3]:

     Doch nun ist es zu heiß, um irgendwas zu tun
     Für mich ist Sommersonne wohl tabu
     Ich glaub, ich fange an zu schmelzen wie ein Wassereis
     Was nur findet ihr an dieser Jahreszeit?

     But now it's way too hot to do anything
     Summer sun seems to be taboo for me
     I think I'm starting to melt like an ice pop
     What do you guys even like about this season?

Usage notes

• The adjective is not used attributively (for which tabuisiert or compounds with Tabu are used).

Related terms

• Tabu
• tabuisieren

Further reading

• “tabu” in Duden online
• “tabu” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache

Hungarian

Etymology

From English taboo. Ultimately from Tongan tapu.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈtɒbu]
• Hyphenation: ta‧bu

Noun

tabu

1. taboo

Declension

Inflection (stem in long/high vowel, back harmony)

	singular	plural
nominative	tabu	tabuk
accusative	tabut	tabukat
dative	tabunak	tabuknak
instrumental	tabuval	tabukkal
causal-final	tabuért	tabukért
translative	tabuvá	tabukká
terminative	tabuig	tabukig
essive-formal	tabuként	tabukként
essive-modal	—	—
inessive	tabuban	tabukban
superessive	tabun	tabukon
adessive	tabunál	tabuknál
illative	tabuba	tabukba
sublative	tabura	tabukra
allative	tabuhoz	tabukhoz
elative	tabuból	tabukból
delative	taburól	tabukról
ablative	tabutól	tabuktól
non-attributive possessive – singular	tabué	tabuké
non-attributive possessive – plural	tabuéi	tabukéi

Possessive forms of tabu

possessor	single possession	multiple possessions
1st person sing.	tabum	tabuim
2nd person sing.	tabud	tabuid
3rd person sing.	tabuja	tabui
1st person plural	tabunk	tabuink
2nd person plural	tabutok	tabuitok
3rd person plural	tabujuk	tabuik

Derived terms

• tabusít

Further reading

• tabu in Bárczi, Géza and László Országh. A magyar nyelv értelmező szótára (“The Explanatory Dictionary of the Hungarian Language”, abbr.: ÉrtSz.). Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, 1959–1962. Fifth ed., 1992: →ISBN

Indonesian

Etymology

From English taboo, from Tongan tapu (“prohibited, sacred”), from Proto-Polynesian *tapu, from Proto-Oceanic *tabu, from Proto-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian *tambu.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈtabu/
• Hyphenation: ta‧bu

Noun

tabu (uncountable)

1. taboo

Derived terms

• menabukan

Further reading

• “tabu” in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia, Jakarta: Agency for Language Development and Cultivation – Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia, 2016.

Lithuanian

Etymology

From English taboo, from Tongan tapu.

Noun

tabù m

1. taboo

Declension

Indeclinable.

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology

From English taboo, from Tongan tapu.

Noun

tabu n (definite singular tabuet, indefinite plural tabu, definite plural tabua or tabuene)

1. taboo

References

• “tabu” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

Norwegian Nynorsk

Etymology

From English taboo, from Tongan tapu.

Noun

tabu n (definite singular tabuet, indefinite plural tabu, definite plural tabua)

1. taboo

References

• “tabu” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

Polish

Etymology

Borrowed from English taboo, from Tongan tapu (“prohibited”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈta.bu/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -abu
• Syllabification: ta‧bu

Noun

tabu n (indeclinable)

1. taboo

Further reading

• tabu in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
• tabu in Polish dictionaries at PWN

Portuguese

Pronunciation

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /taˈbu/

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /taˈbu/ [taˈβu]

• Rhymes: -u
• Hyphenation: ta‧bu

Noun

tabu m (plural tabus)

1. taboo (cultural inhibition or ban)

Adjective

tabu (invariable)

1. taboo (culturally forbidden from use, approach or mention)

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from French tabou.

Noun

tabu n (plural tabuuri)

1. taboo

Declension

Declension of tabu

	singular			plural
	indefinite	definite		indefinite	definite
nominative-accusative	tabu	tabul		tabuuri	tabuurile
genitive-dative	tabu	tabului		tabuuri	tabuurilor
vocative	tabule			tabuurilor

Serbo-Croatian

Etymology

English taboo.

Noun

tabu m (Cyrillic spelling табу)

1. taboo

Slovak

Etymology

Ultimately from Proto-Polynesian *tapu.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈtabu/

Noun

tabu n

1. taboo

Related terms

• tabuový
• tabuizovať

References

• “tabu”, in Slovníkový portál Jazykovedného ústavu Ľ. Štúra SAV [Dictionary portal of the Ľ. Štúr Institute of Linguistics, Slovak Academy of Science] (in Slovak), https://slovnik.juls.savba.sk, 2003–2025

Swahili

Noun

tabu class IX (plural tabu class X)

1. Alternative form of taabu (“hardship, distress, misery, difficulty”)

Swedish

Etymology

Ultimately from Tongan tapu.

Noun

tabu n

1. taboo

Declension

Declension of tabu

		nominative	genitive
singular	indefinite	tabu	tabus
	definite	tabut	tabuts
plural	indefinite	tabun	tabuns
	definite	tabuna	tabunas

Derived terms

• sexualtabu
• tabubelagd
• tabubelägga
• tabuera
• tabuföreställning
• tabuord

Adjective

tabu (not comparable)

1. taboo

Usage notes

As adjective only used predicatively.

Synonyms

• tabubelagd

References

• tabu in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL)
• tabu in Svensk ordbok (SO)
• tabu in Svenska Akademiens ordbok (SAOB)

Ternate

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈta.bu]

Verb

tabu (Jawi تابو)

1. (transitive) to shoot, fire

   tabu si uspera ― to fire the gun

Conjugation

Conjugation of tabu

		singular	plural
			inclusive	exclusive
1st person		totabu	fotabu	mitabu
2nd person		notabu	nitabu
3rd person	masculine	otabu	itabu yotabu (archaic)
	feminine	motabu
	neuter	itabu

References

• Frederik Sigismund Alexander de Clercq (1890) Bijdragen tot de kennis der Residentie Ternate, E.J. Brill
• Rika Hayami-Allen (2001) A descriptive study of the language of Ternate, the northern Moluccas, Indonesia, University of Pittsburgh

Volapük

Noun

tabu

1. predicative singular of tab