Question to Polynesian expert

[Roderick G Orlina]

Hi.

I'll have to disagree with Bob about the source of our word "tatoo"
because I believe it derives from the Old Javanese word "tatu", which
means, "wound, scar" (Zoetmulder).  Southeast Asia definately has a long
history of "tatoo"-ing, and the borrowing seems to correspond directly to
the Old Javanese, rather than a Polynesian, source.

Rod Orlina

On Fri, 15 Jan 1999, Robert Blust wrote:

> 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
> >
> > -----------------------------------------------------------------------
> > Waruno Mahdi                  tel:   +49 30 8413-5411
> > Faradayweg 4-6                fax:   +49 30 8413-3155
> > 14195 Berlin                  email: mahdi at fhi-berlin.mpg.de
> > Germany                       WWW:   http://w3.rz-berlin.mpg.de/~wm/
> > -----------------------------------------------------------------------
> >
> >
> >
>