Hi this is Tutor Nick P and this is Word Origins 115. The origin, the word origin today
is taboo. Okay. Let's take a look at the note here. If we say that something is
taboo, it is often a subject or activity that
is against the rules, offensive or socially considered to be something that
one should avoid, not do especially because it causes offence or
embarrassment. Things that are taboo can vary from one culture to another,
especially things or actions considered repulsive. You know, like almost like
disgusting. Offends a religion. Yeah that's an important one or something
sacred. According to Sigmund Freud , there are
only two Universal taboos. You know, incest you know , having sex among family
members. So like everywhere in every culture that should be taboo and
patricide you know, killing your father or or even matricide, killing your
mother. This would be taboo in every religion throughout the world everywhere.
Let's continue. The term taboo entered the English language from the famous
explorer, Captain James Cook. You know, he's very famous for traveling out in the
Pacific there. He recorded it in a log in 1777 when he visited the island of
Tonga. So it came from the language of Tongan. You know, the people there. He
described the word taboo which you know I guess the sometimes you see it written
as T-A-B-U or T-A-P-U you know, originally from the Tongan language to have a broad
meaning, including the meanings of sacred, holy, forbidden, unclean, cursed , prohibited.
All of these were kind of mixed in it together to come up with the idea of taboo.
So now you see why you know, there's so many things that could be in the
taboo category. All right. Let's continue. Other
taboos throughout the world often include things related to sex such as
polygamy. Yeah. In a lot of places you know, if you try to have several wives or
husbands that's considered taboo. But there are some places in the Muslim
world, usually men are allowed to marry up to four women and I think what in
Utah there's you know, some Mormons that like to marry. So they didn't
consider that taboo. Pedophilia of course, is having you know sexual intercourse
with children. That should really be taboo everywhere. Bestiality of course.
This would mean having sex with animals etc. So these are definitely things
that fall into this sort of category. Other taboos include cannibalism. All
right. You know, throughout most of the world this is probably taboo. But you
know maybe some African tribes or some in the Amazon you know, may not consider
that taboo. Okay. Dietary laws. You know, some religions they, they don't want you to eat
pork or things like that. Do's and don'ts about dead bodies. You got to be careful
what you do with them or don't do with their graves etc. So all of these things
could go under taboos. Some things in the West that generations ago were
considered to be taboo have now been normalized. Yes. So if something was taboo
and now it didn't overtime it's not considered taboo, we say it has become
normalized. All right, such as unmarried couples living
together before marriage. Remember in another video I just
mentioned that 1970s show "Three's Company" that was one of the problems .The,
the guy, the young guy and the two girls. They were not married. They wanted him to
stay because he was such a good cook. They wanted him to be the roommate. It was a
funny show . It was supposed to be you know a comedy. A situation comedy, sitcom but the
landlord at that time considered No. No. No. No. No. if you're not married
No man and no woman can live in his apartment. So that's why he had to
pretend to be gay in order to stay in this apartment. Okay. That's what the show
was kind of centered around. So but again it just goes to show you that even
in the early 1970s this was still you know among some people considered to be
taboo. Okay. Good. Where today , today it is not. You know and young couples could go they
don't nobody would ask for look strange at anyone.
Homosexuality of course especially in the last ten years, it's become a lot
more accepted and gay marriage as well of course. Women showing bra straps. Now
this one is really kind of you know, on a low level. But you know, more than twenty
years ago that this might have seemed pretty strange. But nowadays it's very
fashionable for women to wear tops and their bra straps are hanging all over
the place and it's actually considered maybe even cool or fashionable. But at
one time it was maybe taboo. Women asking a man out. Of course, I don't know.
It's still not done most of the time. But it's not considered that weird anymore.
Women wearing pants. Of course that goes way back you know, women are
wearing pants for a long time. But if you went back more than a hundred years ago
it might have been considered taboo. Tattoos of course, again it depends on
the culture . A lot of cultures had tattoos you know, actually out in the
Pacific that was that's where a lot of tattoos were famous to begin with. But
for a while in many cultures , they, they maybe thought that you know maybe
only bad people or people that were into crime or mafia or something might have
be people that would have tattoos. So at one time, it was considered taboo.
All right. And here we just have one example here. In many Muslim countries it
is taboo to disrespect the Koran, their holy book. But you say this really about
any religion. That you shouldn't disrespect the Bible or the Torah or you
know or any of them. That should really never be done.
But yes. It will be considered taboo, if you disrespected it in some way. Okay.
Anyway, I hope you got it. I hope it was clear. I hope it was informative. Thanks you for your
time. Bye-bye.