Where does “moʻa loa” come from?

moʻa loa (Hawaiian) comes from Hawaiian loa, from Proto-Polynesian loa — long.

moʻa loa (Hawaiian): well done

Definitions

  1. well done

Ancestry of “moʻa loa”, step by step

moʻa loa traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Hawaiian loa

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Hawaiianloadistance, length; long, permanent
2Proto-Polynesianloalong

via Hawaiian moʻa

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Hawaiianmoʻacooked
Every word from Proto-Polynesian loaEvery word from Hawaiian loa
moʻa loa — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer