Where does “papakupu” come from?

papakupu (Maori) comes from Maori papa, from Proto-Polynesian *papa, from Proto-Oceanic *papan, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *papan — plank, board.

Ancestry of “papakupu”, step by step

papakupu traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Maori papa

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Maoripaparump
2Proto-Polynesian*papaboard, plank
3Proto-Oceanic*papan
4Proto-Malayo-Polynesian*papanplank, board

via Maori kupu

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1MaorikupuWord, vocabulary, saying, talk, message,...
Every word from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *papan