Where does “hantu” come from?
hantu (Indonesian) comes from Malay hantu, from Proto-Malayic hantu, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian qanitu, from Proto-Austronesian qaNiCu — ghost; owl.
hantu (Indonesian): ghost
Ancestry of “hantu”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Malay | hantu | ghost; demon |
| 2 | Proto-Malayic | hantu | ghost; owl |
| 3 | Proto-Malayo-Polynesian | qanitu | ghost; owl |
| 4 | Proto-Austronesian | qaNiCu | ghost; owl |