Etymology From (misinterpretation of) Tahitian 'o Tahiti.
1
Tahitian.
Now only in compound terms
...and two Otaheite princes, nearly seven feet, swathed in white calico, with naked arms and legs, would stand on each side, holding a laurel crown over the heads of the fair cherubs, with a massive club in their right hands, threatening destruction to all who approached.1842, [anonymous collaborator of Letitia Elizabeth Landon], chapter XXXVII, in Lady Anne Granard; or, Keeping up Appearances. […], volume II, London: Henry Colburn, […], →OCLC, page 175:
I found Omai seated on the Great Chair, and my Brother next to him, and talking Otaheite as fast as possible.1774, Frances Burney, Journals & Letters, Penguin 2001, 1 December