Question to Polynesian expert

[Robert Blust]

Hi everybody,

The PAN form is *beCik (reflected in Taiwan and Borneo in that meaning,
and in the Philippines, Sulawesi and the Lesser Sundas in various related
meanings (Kapampangan /batik/ `skin blemish', Makasarese /batti?/
`speckle, freckle', Ngadha /weti/ `cut, carve, chisel, draw').  The
English word derives from a Polynesian source, probably Tahitian, given
the primary contacts during the Cook voyages (the Maori word is
different).  *tatau has a PPN etymology, as it is found in both Tongic and
Nuclear Polynesian.

Bob Blust

On Fri, 15 Jan 1999, Waruno Mahdi wrote:

> Hi everybody,
>
> perhaps somebody could help answer Greg Ralph's qestion he sent me but
> which I couldn't answer off hand myself (please reply directly to Greg):
>
> > A friend of mine is enrolling in a PhD at RMIT in Melbourne,
> > she is investigating a number of issues relating to
> > modern fashion and design.  One of the things she is looking
> > at is the revival of tattooing.  Talking to her last night
> > I realised that although the English word is generally
> > supposed to be a loan from a Tahitian or Marquesan "tatau",
> > I was not sure whether it was common Polynesian, or not,
> > and indeed whether there was a PAN form reconstructed.
>
> I only knew of *beTik .....
>
> Regards to all,
>
> Waruno
>
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