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

Definitions

  1. ghost

Ancestry of “hantu”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Malayhantughost; demon
2Proto-Malayichantughost; owl
3Proto-Malayo-Polynesianqanitughost; owl
4Proto-AustronesianqaNiCughost; owl
Every word from Proto-Austronesian qaNiCu →Every word from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian qanitu →Every word from Proto-Malayic hantu →