Where does “humuhumu” come from?
humuhumu (English) comes from English humuhumunukunukuapuaa, from Hawaiian humuhumunukunukuāpuaʻa, from Hawaiian nuku, from Proto-Polynesian ŋutu, from Proto-Austronesian ŋusuq.
humuhumu (English): The reef triggerfish
Definitions
- The reef triggerfish
Ancestry of “humuhumu”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | humuhumunukunukuapuaa | Either of two species, "Rhinecanthus aculeatus"... |
| 2 | Hawaiian | humuhumunukunukuāpuaʻa | reef triggerfish, humuhumunukunukuapuaa |
| 3 | Hawaiian | nuku | snout, beak, mouth |
| 4 | Proto-Polynesian | ŋutu | — |
| 5 | Proto-Austronesian | ŋusuq | — |