Where does “Kota Kinabalu” come from?
Kota Kinabalu (Malay) comes from Malay kota, from Classical Malay kota, from Tamil கோட்டம், from Tamil கோடு, from Old Tamil 𑀓𑁄𑀝𑀼, from Proto-Dravidian *kōṭu — horn.
Ancestry of “Kota Kinabalu”, step by step
Kota Kinabalu traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Malay kota
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Malay | kota | city |
| 2 | Classical Malay | kota | city |
| 3 | Tamil | கோட்டம் | division; city, town; place; crookedness |
| 4 | Tamil | கோடு | to bend; be crooked |
| 5 | Old Tamil | 𑀓𑁄𑀝𑀼 | tusk |
| 6 | Proto-Dravidian | *kōṭu | horn |
via Malay Kinabalu
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Malay | Kinabalu | — |