Where does “aw” come from?

aw (Cebuano) comes from Cebuano wala, from Austronesian *wada, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian wada — to be.

aw (Cebuano): an expression of surprise; an expression of...

Definitions

  1. an expression of surprise; an expression of...

Ancestry of “aw”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Cebuanowalaindicates the nonexistence or absence of something; there is none, no one, nothing
2Austronesian*wada—
3Proto-Malayo-Polynesianwadato be
Every word from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian wada →Every word from Austronesian *wada →Every word from Cebuano wala →