Where does “má-tâ” come from?
má-tâ (Chinese) comes from Malay mata-mata, from Malay mata, from Proto-Malayic mata, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian mata, from Proto-Austronesian mata, from Proto-Austronesian maCa.
má-tâ (Chinese): police
Ancestry of “má-tâ”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Malay | mata-mata | plural of mata; policeman; spy |
| 2 | Malay | mata | eye; edge; hole |
| 3 | Proto-Malayic | mata | eye |
| 4 | Proto-Malayo-Polynesian | mata | eye |
| 5 | Proto-Austronesian | mata | eye |
| 6 | Proto-Austronesian | maCa | — |
Words derived from “má-tâ”