Where does “Fiji” come from?
Fiji comes from Fijian Viti Levu, the name of the largest island in the Fijian archipelago.
Ancestry of “Fiji”, step by step
Fiji traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Tongan Fisi
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tongan | Fisi | to flower, bud, blossom |
| 2 | Proto-Polynesian | *fiti | — |
| 3 | Lithuanian | pinti | to plait; to braid |
| 4 | Ottoman Turkish | پنتی | stingy, miserly, mean, tight-fisted, unwilling to spend, objectionably cautious with money |
| 5 | Armenian | փնթի | slovenly, untidy |
| 6 | Middle Armenian | փնթի | slovenly, untidy |
| 7 | Old Armenian | -թի | Alternative form of -տի |
via Fijian Viti Levu
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fijian | Viti Levu | Great Viti; Great Fiji |