Etymology Explorer › Maori

Where does “te reo” come from?

te reo (Maori) comes from Maori te reo Māori, from Maori reo, from Proto-Nuclear Polynesian *leo, from Proto-Oceanic leqo, from Proto-Oceanic *(qa-)liqoʀ, from Proto-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian *liqəʀ, from Proto-Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian *liqəʀ, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian liqəʀ — neck.

te reo (Maori): the Māori language; Used other than with a...

Definitions

  1. the Māori language; Used other than with a...

Ancestry of “te reo”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Maorite reo Māorithe Maori language
2Maorireovoice; speech, utterance; language
3Proto-Nuclear Polynesian*leo—
4Proto-Oceanicleqo—
5Proto-Oceanic*(qa-)liqoʀ—
6Proto-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian*liqəʀ—
7Proto-Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian*liqəʀ—
8Proto-Malayo-Polynesianliqəʀneck
9Proto-Austronesianliqəʀneck
Every word from Proto-Austronesian liqəʀ →