Where does “main” come from?
main (Indonesian) comes from Malay main, from Proto-Malayic *main, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian qayam — domesticated animal; pet; toy; plaything.
main (Indonesian): to play
Ancestry of “main”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Malay | main | to play |
| 2 | Proto-Malayic | *main | — |
| 3 | Proto-Malayo-Polynesian | qayam | domesticated animal; pet; toy; plaything |