Where does “Polynesian” come from?
Polynesian derives from English Polynesia, from Ancient Greek πολύς meaning "many," ultimately from Proto-Indo-European polh₁ús and pleh₁-, combined with Latin -anus, -um, and -us suffixes.
Polynesian (English): Of, from, or pertaining to Polynesia; A person...
Definitions
- Of, from, or pertaining to Polynesia; A person...
Ancestry of “Polynesian”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | -an | Of or pertaining to; |
| 2 | Italian | -ana | -an, -y |
| 3 | Spanish | -ana | feminine singular of -ano |
| 4 | Latin | -ana | inflection of -ānus:
## nominative/vocative... |
| 5 | Latin | -anus | Of or pertaining to; -ian |
| 6 | Latin | -um | nominative neuter singular of -us; accusative... |
| 7 | Proto-Italic | *-om | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | *-oHom | — |
Words derived from “Polynesian”