Where does “kawakawa” come from?

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

kawakawa (English): (Blechnum fluviatie)

Definitions

  1. (Blechnum fluviatie)

Ancestry of “kawakawa”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Maorikawakawa—
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
Every word from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *wakaʀ →Every word from Proto-Oceanic *wakaʀ →Every word from Proto-Oceanic *kawaʀ →