Where does “kawa” come from?

kawa (English) comes from Maori kawa, from Proto-Polynesian kawa, from Proto-Oceanic *kawaʀ, from Proto-Oceanic *wakaʀ, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *wakaʀ — root.

kawa (English): Alternative form of kava

Definitions

  1. Alternative form of kava

Ancestry of “kawa”, step by step

kawa traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Maori kawa

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Maorikawasour; a ceremony to remove tapu from a new house...
2Proto-Polynesiankawakava, bitterness; bitter, sour
3Proto-Oceanic*kawaʀpotent root root of a plant with strong properties: e.g. ginger
4Proto-Oceanic*wakaʀ—
5Proto-Malayo-Polynesian*wakaʀroot

via Polish kawa

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Polishkawacoffee
2Ottoman Turkishقهوهcoffee
3Persianقهوهcoffee
4Arabicقهوةwine; coffee; coffee shop, café
Every word from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *wakaʀ →Every word from Proto-Oceanic *wakaʀ →Every word from Proto-Oceanic *kawaʀ →