Where does “Waikiki” come from?
Waikiki (English) comes from Hawaiian Waikīkī, from Hawaiian wai, from Proto-Eastern Polynesian wai, from Proto-Nuclear Polynesian wai, from Proto-Polynesian wai, from Proto-Oceanic waiʀ, from Proto-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian waiʀ, from Proto-Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian waiʀ — water.
Ancestry of “Waikiki”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hawaiian | Waikīkī | — |
| 2 | Hawaiian | wai | fresh water |
| 3 | Proto-Eastern Polynesian | wai | water |
| 4 | Proto-Nuclear Polynesian | wai | water |
| 5 | Proto-Polynesian | wai | water |
| 6 | Proto-Oceanic | waiʀ | water |
| 7 | Proto-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian | waiʀ | water |
| 8 | Proto-Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian | waiʀ | water |
| 9 | Proto-Malayo-Polynesian | wahiʀ | water |