Where does “lā” come from?

lā (Hawaiian) comes from Proto-Polynesian *la, from Proto-Oceanic layaʀ, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian layaʀ, from Proto-Austronesian layaʀ — sail.

lā (Hawaiian): sail; dorsal fin; sun, sun’s heat; sunny, solar

Definitions

  1. sail; dorsal fin; sun, sun’s heat; sunny, solar

Ancestry of “lā”, step by step

lā traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Proto-Polynesian *la

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Proto-Polynesian*lasail a piece of fabric attached to a boat
2Proto-Oceaniclayaʀsail
3Proto-Malayo-Polynesianlayaʀsail
4Proto-Austronesianlayaʀsail

via Proto-Nuclear Polynesian la

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Proto-Nuclear Polynesianla—

Words derived from “lā”

Every word from Proto-Austronesian layaʀ →Every word from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian layaʀ →Every word from Proto-Oceanic layaʀ →