Where does “Rotorua” come from?
Rotorua (English) comes from Maori Rotorua, from Maori rua, from Proto-Eastern Polynesian rua, from Proto-Nuclear Polynesian rua, from Proto-Polynesian rua, from Proto-Oceanic rua, from Proto-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian duha, from Proto-Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian duha — two.
Ancestry of “Rotorua”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maori | Rotorua | — |
| 2 | Maori | rua | two; pit; cavity |
| 3 | Proto-Eastern Polynesian | rua | — |
| 4 | Proto-Nuclear Polynesian | rua | — |
| 5 | Proto-Polynesian | rua | two |
| 6 | Proto-Oceanic | rua | two |
| 7 | Proto-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian | duha | — |
| 8 | Proto-Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian | duha | — |
| 9 | Proto-Malayo-Polynesian | duha | two |
| 10 | Proto-Austronesian | *duha | — |
| 11 | Proto-Austronesian | duSa | two |