Tapa and Mulberry

Squirrels and birds could be seen carrying off the ripe fruit from this tree along our walking route. They seemed to be enjoying it, so I just had to find out what it was. A brief internet search quickly revealed it to be fruit of the paper mulberry tree. Native to Asia and Polynesia, it is spreading to other areas with warm climates. The fruit is said to be quite tasty, but I haven’t quite decided to try it.

While visiting French Polynesia we watched locals pounding the inner bark of the paper mulberry tree into a cloth known as “tapa.” It has been used for clothing, blankets, and as a canvas for artwork. We have several hanging on a wall in our house. It has also been made in Hawaii where it is called “kapa,”

The slightly different pronunciation reveals the absence of the “t” consonant in Hawaiian language while the “k” consonant is absent in the Tahitian language. Some native speakers in the past suggested that the true pronunciation is somewhere between the “t” and the “k” sounds, to the chagrin of some of the rigid, early missionary linguists who could not fathom such a concept. Such is the nature of communication; if you get the idea being expressed, what do minor sound variations matter?

#kapa #tapa #papermulberry #polynesia #hawaii