Where does “mutu” come from?

mutu (Indonesian) comes from Malay mutu, from Tamil முது, from Tamil மூ, from Proto-Tungusic mū, from Proto-Finnic muu, from Proto-Finno-Ugric mu.

mutu (Indonesian): quality

Definitions

  1. quality

Ancestry of “mutu”, step by step

mutu traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Malay mutu

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Malaymutuquality
2Tamilமுதுold, senile, ancient, original, mature
3Tamilமூthe alphasyllabic combination of
4Proto-Tungusicmūwater
5Proto-Finnicmuuother, another; different
6Proto-Finno-Ugricmu—

via Tamil முத்து

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Tamilமுத்துbead, seed, rice, castor bean, tears; anything beadlike

Words derived from “mutu”

Every word from Proto-Finno-Ugric mu →Every word from Proto-Finnic muu →Every word from Proto-Tungusic mū →