Where does “yang” come from?
yang (Indonesian) comes from Malay yang, from Malay hiang, from Proto-Malayic hiaŋ, from Proto-Malayo-Chamic hiaŋ, from Proto-Malayo-Sumbawan hiaŋ, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian qiaŋ.
yang (Indonesian): which; one
Ancestry of “yang”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Malay | yang | Alternative form of hiang; which; one |
| 2 | Malay | hiang | god |
| 3 | Proto-Malayic | hiaŋ | — |
| 4 | Proto-Malayo-Chamic | hiaŋ | — |
| 5 | Proto-Malayo-Sumbawan | hiaŋ | — |
| 6 | Proto-Malayo-Polynesian | qiaŋ | — |