Where does “ʻukulele” come from?

ʻukulele (Hawaiian) comes 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.

ʻukulele (Hawaiian): A small four-stringed guitar, an ukulele

Definitions

  1. A small four-stringed guitar, an ukulele

Ancestry of “ʻukulele”, step by step

ʻukulele traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Hawaiian ʻuku

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Hawaiianʻukulouse, flea
2Proto-Polynesiankutulouse
3Proto-Oceanickutulouse generic
4Proto-Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesiankutu—
5Austronesian*kutu—
6Proto-Austronesian*kuCuxlouse insect

via Hawaiian lele

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Hawaiianleleto jump, leap, hop, skip; to fly; to swing,...
2Proto-Polynesianleleto fly
3Proto-Malayo-Polynesian*laʀiv—

Words derived from “ʻukulele”

Every word from Proto-Austronesian *kuCux →Every word from Austronesian *kutu →Every word from Proto-Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian kutu →