Where does “matai” come from?
matai (English) comes from Samoan matai, from Proto-Polynesian *maatai.
matai (English): A Samoan chief; A coniferous tree, "Prumnopitys...
Definitions
- A Samoan chief; A coniferous tree, "Prumnopitys...
Ancestry of “matai”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Samoan | matai | headman; chief |
| 2 | Proto-Polynesian | *maatai | — |