Where does “kembang api” come from?

kembang api (Malay) comes from Japanese 花火, from Japanese 火, from Old Japanese 火, from Proto-Japonic poy, from Proto-Japonic po.

kembang api (Malay): A firework

Definitions

  1. A firework

Ancestry of “kembang api”, step by step

kembang api traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.

via Japanese 花火

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Japanese花火fireworks
2Japanese火"term relating to fire"; a light; a burning...
3Old Japanese火a fire; a light
4Proto-Japonicpoyfire
5Proto-Japonicpo—

via Malay Api

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1MalayApifire oxidation reaction
2Proto-Malayicapifire
3Proto-Malayo-Polynesianhapuyfire
4Proto-AustronesianSapuyfire

via Malay kembang

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Malaykembangflower; to expand, to blossom out; swollen
2Proto-Malayickəmbaŋ—
3Proto-Austronesian*kəmbaŋ—
Every word from Proto-Japonic po →Every word from Proto-Japonic poy →Every word from Old Japanese 火 →