Where does “kōpaʻa” come from?

kōpaʻa (Hawaiian) comes from Hawaiian paʻa, from Proto-Polynesian *paka, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *paŋgan — to roast over fire; to toast.

kōpaʻa (Hawaiian): sugar

Definitions

  1. sugar

Ancestry of “kōpaʻa”, step by step

kōpaʻa traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Hawaiian paʻa

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Hawaiianpaʻasolid; firm, fast, permanent
2Proto-Polynesian*paka—
3Proto-Malayo-Polynesian*paŋganto roast over fire; to toast

via Hawaiian kō

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Hawaiiankōyour; Alternative form of ko; sugar cane
2Proto-Polynesiantosugar cane
Every word from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *paŋgan →Every word from Proto-Polynesian *paka →Every word from Hawaiian paʻa →