Where does “kanaka” come from?
kanaka (English) comes from Hawaiian kanaka, from Proto-Polynesian taŋata, from Proto-Oceanic *tamʷata.
kanaka (English): A person of Hawaiian descent; A South Pacific...
Definitions
- A person of Hawaiian descent; A South Pacific...
Ancestry of “kanaka”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Hawaiian | kanaka | human being; subject, retainer; a Hawaiian |
| 2 | Proto-Polynesian | taŋata | man, person |
| 3 | Proto-Oceanic | *tamʷata | — |
Words derived from “kanaka”