Where does “kembang api” come from?

kembang api (Indonesian) comes from Indonesian api, from Malay Api, from Proto-Malayic api, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian hapuy, from Proto-Austronesian Sapuy — fire.

kembang api (Indonesian): firework

Definitions

  1. firework

Ancestry of “kembang api”, step by step

kembang api traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.

via Indonesian api

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Indonesianapifire
2MalayApifire oxidation reaction
3Proto-Malayicapifire
4Proto-Malayo-Polynesianhapuyfire
5Proto-AustronesianSapuyfire

via Japanese 花火

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Japanese花火fireworks
2Japanese火"term relating to fire"; a light; a burning...
3Old Japanese火a fire; a light
4Proto-Japonicpoyfire
5Proto-Japonicpo—

via Indonesian kembang

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Indonesiankembangflower; to bloom
2Malaykembangflower; to expand, to blossom out; swollen
3Proto-Malayickəmbaŋ—
4Proto-Austronesian*kəmbaŋ—
Every word from Proto-Austronesian Sapuy →