Where does “mai” come from?
mai (Maori) comes from Proto-Polynesian mai, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian maʀi — to come.
mai (Maori): hither
Ancestry of “mai”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Proto-Polynesian | mai | — |
| 2 | Proto-Malayo-Polynesian | maʀi | to come |