Where does “kutou” come from?

kutou (Central Melanau) comes from Proto-North Sarawak kutu, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian kutu, from Proto-Austronesian *kuCux — louse insect.

kutou (Central Melanau): louse

Definitions

  1. louse

Ancestry of “kutou”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Proto-North Sarawakkutu—
2Proto-Malayo-Polynesiankutulouse
3Proto-Austronesian*kuCuxlouse insect
Every word from Proto-Austronesian *kuCux →Every word from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian kutu →Every word from Proto-North Sarawak kutu →