tabù

taboo

noun tah-BOO Rare

Origin: Tongan tabu (forbidden), via English/French

Usage Note

Tabù is a loanword borrowed via French and English from Tongan. It is invariable — the plural is also tabù (no -s). It can function as both a noun (un tabù, i tabù) and an adjective (un argomento tabù). The accent on the final vowel signals the stress.

Examples

"Questo argomento è ancora un tabù."

Natural Translation

This topic is still a taboo.

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