Where does “wa” come from?

Wa is a Thai unit of measurement from วา, whose ultimate origin and original meaning are unattested.

wa (English): A traditional proa-style outrigger canoe of the...

Definitions

  1. A traditional proa-style outrigger canoe of the...

Ancestry of “wa”, step by step

wa traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.

via Burmese

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1BurmeseWa, the 30th letter of the Burmese alphabet
2Palivassarain; year
3Sanskritवर्षrain, raining, a shower; the rains, rainy season;...
4Proto-Indo-Europeanh₁wers-ó-m
5Proto-Indo-Europeanh₁wers-to rain

via Japanese

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Japanesepeace, harmony, tranquillity, serenity; sum
2Middle Chinese

via Thai วา

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Thaiวาwa: a traditional unit of length, equal to 2...
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₁wers-Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₁wers-ó-mEvery word from Sanskrit वर्ष