Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

tapu

/ˈtɑːpuː/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.16 in modern English

Syllables: tapu
IPA: /ˈtɑːpuː/

6

Scrabble Score

4

Letters

1

Syllables

4

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

Alternative form of taboo.

New Zealand usage; Countable; Uncountable

verb

Alternative form of taboo.

New Zealand usage

Example Sentences

"Spies were sent to test the Moriori’s mettle by violating tapu & despoiling holy sites."
"Tapuing seeds and fields are types of the English laws for protecting out-door property; women tapued to men is matrimony; tapuing sick persons is analogous to the quarantine orders against lepers, the plague and the yellow fever."

Etymology

Borrowed from Māori tapu. Doublet of kapu.

Word Breakdown

Root: tapu

Usage

Subject

Wiktionary places this term in Religion.

Inflected Forms

tapus (plural) tapus (present, singular) tapuing (participle, present) tapued (participle, past) tapued (past)

Antonyms

noa

Questions

How do you pronounce tapu?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈtɑːpuː/.
What does tapu mean?: Alternative form of taboo.
Where does tapu come from?: Borrowed from Māori tapu. Doublet of kapu.

How to pronounce tapu

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “tapu”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈtɑːpuː/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “tapu”.
Repeat and practice — Say “tapu” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.