Where does “kahua paʻa” come from?

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

kahua paʻa (Hawaiian): terra firma

Definitions

  1. terra firma

Ancestry of “kahua paʻa”, step by step

kahua paʻa 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 kahua

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Hawaiiankahuafoundation; base; platform of a house
Every word from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *paŋgan →Every word from Proto-Polynesian *paka →Every word from Hawaiian paʻa →