Where does “mata-mata” come from?
mata-mata (Malay) comes from Malay mata, from Proto-Malayic mata, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian mata, from Proto-Austronesian mata, from Proto-Austronesian maCa.
mata-mata (Malay): plural of mata; policeman; spy
Definitions
- plural of mata; policeman; spy
Ancestry of “mata-mata”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Malay | mata | eye; edge; hole |
| 2 | Proto-Malayic | mata | eye |
| 3 | Proto-Malayo-Polynesian | mata | eye |
| 4 | Proto-Austronesian | mata | eye |
| 5 | Proto-Austronesian | maCa | — |
Words derived from “mata-mata”