Where does “Jawa” come from?
Jawa (Javanese) comes from Old Javanese jawa, from Sanskrit यव, from Proto-Indo-Iranian yáwas, from Proto-Indo-European yéwos, from Proto-Indo-European yew- — to mix.
Ancestry of “Jawa”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old Javanese | jawa | — |
| 2 | Sanskrit | यव | barley; grain, cereal; name for island of Java,... |
| 3 | Proto-Indo-Iranian | yáwas | barley; cereal, grain |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | yéwos | cereal, grain; barley, spelt |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | yew- | to mix |