Where does “Moana” come from?

Moana (Hawaiian) comes from Proto-Polynesian moana, from Proto-Oceanic *masawaŋ, from Proto-Oceanic *sawaŋ, from Proto-Austronesian *sawaŋ.

Moana (Hawaiian): ocean, sea

Definitions

  1. ocean, sea

Ancestry of “Moana”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Proto-Polynesianmoanaocean sea beyond the reef
2Proto-Oceanic*masawaŋopen sea
3Proto-Oceanic*sawaŋ
4Proto-Austronesian*sawaŋ
Every word from Proto-Austronesian *sawaŋEvery word from Proto-Oceanic *sawaŋEvery word from Proto-Oceanic *masawaŋ