Where does “kababawan” come from?
kababawan (Bikol Central) comes from Bikol Central babaw, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *babaw, from Proto-Austronesian *babaw — upper surface.
Ancestry of “kababawan”, step by step
kababawan traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Bikol Central babaw
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bikol Central | babaw | — |
| 2 | Proto-Malayo-Polynesian | *babaw | — |
| 3 | Proto-Austronesian | *babaw | upper surface |
via Bikol Central ka- -an
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bikol Central | ka- -an | — |