Modern Usage
The ambiguities in the Polynesian concept (from the English point of view) are reflected in the different senses of the word in different national Englishes: In modern usage in Hawaii, "KAPU" is often substituted for the phrase "No Trespassing" on private property signage. Although kapu can be taken to mean "stay out", kapu has a larger meaning to most residents of Hawai‘i. By contrast, in New Zealand, the comparable word "tapu" is almost always applied in English as meaning "sacred".
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