Where does “abaka” come from?
abaka (Malay) comes from Tagalog abaká, from Arabic أَبَق, from Classical Syriac ܐܳܦܰܩܬܳܐ, from Classical Syriac ܦܩܰܥ — to split, to reave, to crack.
abaka (Malay): abaca; abaca plant
Ancestry of “abaka”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Tagalog | abaká | — |
| 2 | Arabic | أَبَق | Mannila hemp; abaca |
| 3 | Classical Syriac | ܐܳܦܰܩܬܳܐ | — |
| 4 | Classical Syriac | ܦܩܰܥ | to split, to reave, to crack |