Where does “wau” come from?
wau (Hawaiian) comes from Proto-Polynesian au, from Proto-Oceanic (i-)au, from Proto-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian (i-)aku, from Proto-Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian (i-)aku, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian (i-)aku, from Proto-Austronesian (i-)aku — I; me; my.
wau (Hawaiian): Alternative form of au
Ancestry of “wau”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Proto-Polynesian | au | I, me, my |
| 2 | Proto-Oceanic | (i-)au | I |
| 3 | Proto-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian | (i-)aku | I |
| 4 | Proto-Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian | (i-)aku | I; me; my |
| 5 | Proto-Malayo-Polynesian | (i-)aku | I; me; my |
| 6 | Proto-Austronesian | (i-)aku | I; me; my |