Where does “walay uwaw” come from?

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

walay uwaw (Cebuano): impudent; open and without shame; brazen-faced;...

Definitions

  1. impudent; open and without shame; brazen-faced;...

Ancestry of “walay uwaw”, step by step

walay uwaw traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Cebuano wala

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

via Cebuano uwaw

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Cebuanouwawshame, embarrassment; to feel ashamed or...
2Proto-Malayo-Polynesian*quhaw—
3Proto-Austronesian*quSaw—
Every word from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian wada →Every word from Austronesian *wada →Every word from Cebuano wala →