Where does “Melayu” come from?

Melayu (Indonesian) comes from Malay Melayu, from Malay Malayu, from Old Javanese layū, from Proto-Sunda-Sulawesi lariw, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian laʀiw, from Proto-Austronesian laʀiw.

Melayu (Indonesian): Malay ethnic group

Definitions

  1. Malay ethnic group

Ancestry of “Melayu”, step by step

Melayu traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Malay Melayu

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1MalayMelayuMalay
2MalayMalayu—
3Old Javaneselayūto run
4Proto-Sunda-Sulawesilariw—
5Proto-Malayo-Polynesianlaʀiw—
6Proto-Austronesianlaʀiw—

via Indonesian layu

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Indonesianlayuwilted
2Malaylayuwithered, wilted

Words derived from “Melayu”

Every word from Proto-Austronesian laʀiw →