Where does “hōʻai” come from?

hōʻai (Hawaiian) comes from Hawaiian ʻai, from Proto-Polynesian kai, from Proto-Oceanic kani, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian kaən, from Proto-Austronesian kaən — to eat.

hōʻai (Hawaiian): to feed; to give to someone to eat

Definitions

  1. to feed; to give to someone to eat

Ancestry of “hōʻai”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Hawaiianʻaifood; in particular, any food that is not fish;...
2Proto-Polynesiankaifood
3Proto-Oceanickanito eat consume
4Proto-Malayo-Polynesiankaənto eat
5Proto-Austronesiankaənto eat
Every word from Proto-Austronesian kaən →Every word from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian kaən →Every word from Proto-Oceanic kani →