tapa

Thân thiện

A woman displays a decorated tapa cloth at a cultural festival.

Definition

Noun 1. A paperlike cloth made in the South Pacific by pounding bark: This refers to a non-woven textile traditionally produced on various Pacific Islands. It is created by soaking and then repeatedly beating the inner bark of certain trees until it forms a thin, felted sheet. 2. The thin fibrous bark of the paper mulberry or similar trees used to make this cloth: This meaning refers to the raw material itself—specifically the prepared bark from trees like the paper mulberry (Broussonetia papyrifera) or the Pipturus albidus.

Usage Examples

• The museum displayed a beautiful tapa cloth decorated with geometric patterns.
• The process of making tapa is a skilled tradition passed down through generations.
• They harvested the bark to prepare the tapa for beating.

Advanced Usage

• Cultural Significance: Tapa is often decorated with symbolic patterns using natural dyes and is used in ceremonies, clothing, and as a valuable gift in many Polynesian and Melanesian cultures.
• As a Material: It can be used as a wall hanging, room divider, bed covering, or ceremonial garment.

Variants and Related Words

• Tapa cloth (noun phrase): A more specific term for the finished textile.
  • She brought back a large piece of tapa cloth from Fiji.
• Kapa (noun): The Hawaiian word for tapa.
• Ngatu (noun): The Tongan word for tapa, often referring to larger, decorated pieces.

Synonyms

• Bark cloth
• Paper mulberry cloth (when specifying the material source)

Related Terms

• Bark: The outer covering of a tree, which is the source material for tapa.
• Felt: A similar non-woven textile, though made from matted fibers like wool, not bark.
• Beater: The tool (often wooden) used to pound the bark into cloth.

Học thuật

Noun

1. a paperlike cloth made in the South Pacific by pounding tapa bark
2. the thin fibrous bark of the paper mulberry and Pipturus albidus

Từ đồng nghĩa

• tappa
• tapa bark
• tappa bark