Where does “Kalawaiʻa” come from?

Kalawaiʻa (Hawaiian) comes from Hawaiian lawaiʻa, from Hawaiian iʻa, from Proto-Polynesian ika, from Proto-Oceanic ikan, from Proto-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian ikan, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian hikan, from Proto-Austronesian Sikan — fish.

Ancestry of “Kalawaiʻa”, step by step

Kalawaiʻa traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Hawaiian lawaiʻa

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Hawaiianlawaiʻafisherman; fishing; cormorant
2Hawaiianiʻafish vertebrate animal
3Proto-Polynesianikafish
4Proto-Oceanicikanfish
5Proto-Eastern Malayo-Polynesianikanfish
6Proto-Malayo-Polynesianhikanfish
7Proto-AustronesianSikanfish

via Hawaiian kā

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Hawaiiankāto strike, hit, thrust, dash, hurl; container;...
2Proto-Polynesiantaʻa—
3Proto-Austronesiantaqanto hold back; to keep in reserve
Every word from Proto-Austronesian Sikan →Every word from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian hikan →Every word from Proto-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian ikan →