Where does “ukulele” come from?

ukulele (English) comes from Hawaiian ʻukulele, from Hawaiian ʻuku, from Proto-Polynesian kutu, from Proto-Oceanic kutu, from Proto-Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian kutu, from Austronesian *kutu, from Proto-Austronesian *kuCux — louse insect.

ukulele (English): A small four-stringed guitar

Definitions

  1. A small four-stringed guitar

Ancestry of “ukulele”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1HawaiianʻukuleleA small four-stringed guitar, an ukulele
2Hawaiianʻukulouse, flea
3Proto-Polynesiankutulouse
4Proto-Oceanickutulouse generic
5Proto-Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesiankutu—
6Austronesian*kutu—
7Proto-Austronesian*kuCuxlouse insect

Words derived from “ukulele”

Every word from Proto-Austronesian *kuCux →Every word from Austronesian *kutu →Every word from Proto-Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian kutu →
ukulele — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer