Where does “mata” come from?

mata (Makasar) comes from Proto-South Sulawesi mata, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian mata, from Proto-Austronesian mata, from Proto-Austronesian maCa — eye organ.

mata (Makasar): eye

Definitions

  1. eye

Ancestry of “mata”, step by step

mata traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Proto-South Sulawesi mata

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Proto-South Sulawesimataeye
2Proto-Malayo-Polynesianmataeye
3Proto-Austronesianmataeye
4Proto-AustronesianmaCaeye organ

via Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *mataq

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Proto-Malayo-Polynesian*mataqgreen having green as its colour
2Proto-Austronesian*qataq—

Words derived from “mata”

Every word from Proto-Austronesian maCa →Every word from Proto-Austronesian mata →Every word from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian mata →