Where does “hikap sa dili hilikapon” come from?

hikap sa dili hilikapon (Cebuano) comes from Cebuano sa, from Proto-Germanic *sa, from Proto-Austronesian *əsa, from Proto-Oceanic *isa.

hikap sa dili hilikapon (Cebuano): To scratch a part of the body (especially the head) that does not itch out of sheer frustration, desperation, or anxiety from not knowing what to do; to be at a complete loss

Definitions

  1. To scratch a part of the body (especially the head) that does not itch out of sheer frustration, desperation, or anxiety from not knowing what to do; to be at a complete loss

Ancestry of “hikap sa dili hilikapon”, step by step

hikap sa dili hilikapon traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.

via Cebuano sa

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Cebuanosaof
2Proto-Germanic*sa
3Proto-Austronesian*əsa
4Proto-Oceanic*isa

via Cebuano dili

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Cebuanodilino; not; no
2Proto-Austronesiandi

via Cebuano hikap

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Cebuanohikapto touch; to feel up
Every word from Proto-Oceanic *isa
hikap sa dili hilikapon — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer