Where does “mara” come from?

mara (Mangarevan) comes from Proto-Polynesian mala, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian malaŋ — misfortune, bad luck.

mara (Mangarevan): be unhappy, dispirited

Definitions

  1. be unhappy, dispirited

Ancestry of “mara”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Proto-Polynesianmalamisfortune, disaster
2Proto-Malayo-Polynesianmalaŋmisfortune, bad luck
Every word from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian malaŋ →Every word from Proto-Polynesian mala →