Where does “kaya” come from?

kaya (English) comes from Malay kaya, from Austronesian *kaya, from Proto-Austronesian kaya — able, capable, strong, wealthy.

kaya (English): "Torreya nucifera", the Japanese nutmeg tree;...

Definitions

  1. "Torreya nucifera", the Japanese nutmeg tree;...

Ancestry of “kaya”, step by step

kaya traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Malay kaya

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Malaykayarich, wealthy; a jam made from coconut milk,...
2Austronesian*kaya—
3Proto-Austronesiankayaable, capable, strong, wealthy

via Japanese 榧

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Japanese榧Japanese nutmeg yew
2Middle Chineseひ—
Every word from Proto-Austronesian kaya →Every word from Austronesian *kaya →Every word from Malay kaya →