Where does “kuku” come from?

kuku (Bikol Central) comes from Proto-Philippine kukuh, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian kukuh, from Proto-Austronesian kuSkuS — nail.

Ancestry of “kuku”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Proto-Philippinekukuhnail
2Proto-Malayo-Polynesiankukuhnail
3Proto-AustronesiankuSkuSnail
Every word from Proto-Austronesian kuSkuS →Every word from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian kukuh →Every word from Proto-Philippine kukuh →
kuku — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer