Where does “kī” come from?
kī (Hawaiian) comes from English key, from English cay, from Spanish Cayo, from Taíno cayo — small island.
kī (Hawaiian): ti, Cordyline fruticosa; key
Definitions
- ti, Cordyline fruticosa; key
Ancestry of “kī”, step by step
kī traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English key
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | key | An object designed to open and close a lock; An... |
| 2 | English | cay | A small, low island largely made of sand or coral |
| 3 | Spanish | Cayo | key island |
| 4 | Taíno | cayo | small island |
via Proto-Polynesian *tii
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Proto-Polynesian | *tii | — |
| 2 | Proto-Oceanic | *jiʀi | — |
| 3 | Proto-Malayo-Polynesian | *siʀi | — |