Where does “kakitangan” come from?

kakitangan (Malay) comes from Malay kaki, from Proto-Malayic kaki, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian qaqay, from Proto-Austronesian qaqay — leg, foot.

kakitangan (Malay): staff, personnel

Definitions

  1. staff, personnel

Ancestry of “kakitangan”, step by step

kakitangan traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Malay kaki

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Malaykakifoot part of body, leg
2Proto-Malayickakileg; foot
3Proto-Malayo-Polynesianqaqayleg, foot
4Proto-Austronesianqaqayleg, foot

via Malay tangan

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Malaytanganhand
2Proto-Malayictaŋanhand
Every word from Proto-Austronesian qaqay →Every word from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian qaqay →Every word from Proto-Malayic kaki →