Where does “katai” come from?
katai (Indonesian) comes from Malay kata, from Pali kathā, from Sanskrit कथा, from Proto-Indo-Iranian *kátʰaH.
katai (Indonesian): dwarf
Ancestry of “katai”, step by step
katai traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Malay kata
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Malay | kata | word |
| 2 | Pali | kathā | speech, story, talk |
| 3 | Sanskrit | कथा | story |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-Iranian | *kátʰaH | — |
via Tamil கட்டை
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Tamil | கட்டை | firewood |
| 2 | Sauraseni Prakrit | 𑀓𑀝𑁆𑀞 | wood |
| 3 | Sanskrit | काष्ठ | wood, timber |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱelh₂- | to pierce, strike; to stick; prick; stab |