Where does “babirussa” come from?
babirussa (Italian) comes from French babiroussa, from Malay babi rusa, from Malay babi, from Proto-Malayic babi, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian babuy, from Proto-Austronesian babuy — pig.
babirussa (Italian): babiroussa
Ancestry of “babirussa”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | French | babiroussa | babiroussa |
| 2 | Malay | babi rusa | babiroussa |
| 3 | Malay | babi | pig; a contemptible person; a swear word |
| 4 | Proto-Malayic | babi | pig |
| 5 | Proto-Malayo-Polynesian | babuy | pig |
| 6 | Proto-Austronesian | babuy | pig |