Where does “Niue” come from?
Niue (English) comes from Niuean Niuē, from Niuean niu, from Proto-Polynesian niu, from Proto-Oceanic niuʀ, from Proto-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian *niuʀ, from Proto-Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian *niuʀ, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian niuʀ — coconut.
Ancestry of “Niue”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Niuean | Niuē | behold the coconut palm |
| 2 | Niuean | niu | coconut |
| 3 | Proto-Polynesian | niu | coconut |
| 4 | Proto-Oceanic | niuʀ | coconut |
| 5 | Proto-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian | *niuʀ | — |
| 6 | Proto-Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian | *niuʀ | — |
| 7 | Proto-Malayo-Polynesian | niuʀ | coconut |