Where does “benua” come from?
benua (Indonesian) comes from Malay benua, from Old Malay vanua, from Proto-Malayic bAnua, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian banua, from Proto-Austronesian banua — inhabited land.
benua (Indonesian): continent; land, country
Ancestry of “benua”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Malay | benua | continent; land, country |
| 2 | Old Malay | vanua | — |
| 3 | Proto-Malayic | bAnua | — |
| 4 | Proto-Malayo-Polynesian | banua | inhabited land |
| 5 | Proto-Austronesian | banua | inhabited land |