Where does “bunga karang” come from?

bunga karang (Malay) comes from Malay karang, from Classical Malay karang, from Javanese ꦏꦫꦁ, from Old Javanese karaṅ, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *karaŋ — small edible freshwater crab.

bunga karang (Malay): sponge

Definitions

  1. sponge

Ancestry of “bunga karang”, step by step

bunga karang traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Malay karang

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Malaykarangcoral; coral reef
2Classical Malaykarangcoral, a hard substance made of the limestone...
3Javaneseꦏꦫꦁcoral, a hard substance made of the limestone skeletons of marine polyps
4Old Javanesekaraṅcoral
5Proto-Malayo-Polynesian*karaŋsmall edible freshwater crab

via Malay bunga

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Malaybungaflower; interest; beauty
2Proto-Malayicbuŋaʔ
3Proto-Malayo-Polynesianbuŋaflower
4Proto-Austronesianbuŋaflower; blossom
Every word from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *karaŋEvery word from Old Javanese karaṅEvery word from Javanese ꦏꦫꦁ
bunga karang — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer