Meaning of Tatau 1
Introduction:
Tatau is a Sāmoan word with origin in the Sāmoan language.
The meaning of the Tatau will depend on a number of things. For example with regards to two people this would start by understand who goal is the person who seeks the meaning and the perspective of the person who shares it.
This begins a dialogue and a journey in communication of the Tatau. What is most common when someone wants to know 'the meaning of Tatau' is that they want to know the literal definition of the word "Tatau".
The Tatau is hard to grasp literally without knowing its place in historically and culturally.
Polynesian Migration and Linguistics: The prevailing theory of Polynesian migration and linguistic shows that the culture and language of Polynesian people stemmed from Sāmoa and Tonga then grew as people spread out though Polynesia toward Marquesas, Tahiti, and outward to Hawai'i and Aotearoa. There are a number of Sāmoan songs and legends which use the word Tatau not found in other Polynesian cultures and languages.
The practice of the Tatau:
Sāmoa was the only Polynesian culture to continually practice the art of the Tatau prior to, during, and following European contact to this day. Most of the traditional art of the tatau also known as traditional way to tattoo, or the "tapping style" of Polynesian Tatau practiced by non Sāmoan cultures and artists comes from the Sāmoan Tufuga such as the Suluape family among other who have recently taught and helped to revive the practice of the tatau to other Polynesian and non Polynesian cultures and artists.
European Translation of Tatau to Tattoo:
The word Tattoo comes from the word Tatau. Upon European contact with Polynesia in the 18th century Sāmoa among other Polynesian cultures had no formal written language. The foreigners from various European countries mispronounced and documented mispronounced words from Polynesia as they were originally spoken by native people. However with their documentation and usage it has led to the expansion of language.
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