Where does “Kaʻena” come from?

Kaʻena (Hawaiian) comes from Hawaiian kā, from Proto-Polynesian taʻa, from Proto-Austronesian taqan — to hold back; to keep in reserve.

Kaʻena (Hawaiian): a place name on several Hawaiian islands

Definitions

  1. a place name on several Hawaiian islands

Ancestry of “Kaʻena”, step by step

Kaʻena traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Hawaiian kā

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Hawaiiankāto strike, hit, thrust, dash, hurl; container;...
2Proto-Polynesiantaʻa—
3Proto-Austronesiantaqanto hold back; to keep in reserve

via Hawaiian ʻena

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Hawaiianʻenaheat
Every word from Proto-Austronesian taqan →Every word from Proto-Polynesian taʻa →Every word from Hawaiian kā →