Where did the word tattoo originate from?
It is commonly believed that the original root word of “tattoo” comes from the Tongan or the Tahitian word tatau, meaning to mark or strike twice (the latter referring to traditional methods of applying the designs).The first syllable “ta”, meaning “hand”, is repeated twice as an onomatopoeic reference to the repetitive nature of the action, and the final syllable “U” translates to “color”.The instrument used to pierce the skin in Polynesian tattooing is called a hahau, the syllable “ha” meaning to “strike or pierce.
