Tattoo is a loanword from the Samoan word "tatau", meaning "to strike". The "Oxford English Dictionary" gives the etymology of tattoo as "In 18th c. tattaow, tattow. From Polynesian (Samoan, Tahitian, Tongan, etc.) tatau. In Marquesan, tatu." Before the importation of the Polynesian word, the practice of tattooing had been described in the West as painting, scarring or staining. The etymology of the body modification term is not to be confused with the origins of the word for the military drumbeat or performance — see "military tattoo". In this case, the English word "tattoo" is derived from the Dutch word "taptoe".
Tahitian drumming This music has served as inspiration for many other styles across the globe, especially in other areas of the Pacific. Tahitian heiva is an authentic performance that manages to symbolize both the past and present state of social hierarchies within the community while describing, in full, the state of the land itself. Although important historically, there has been a significant amount of change to Tahitian drum dancing within the past seventy years. These changes come from many different aspects of the Polynesian society, however, many of them stem from the broader outreach of this wonderful tradition to the rest of