Where does “wētā” come from?

wētā (Maori) comes from Proto-Indo-European weyh₁- — to chase, pursue; to suppress, persecute.

wētā (Maori): weta

Definitions

Step	Language	Word	Meaning
1	Proto-Indo-European	weyh₁-	to chase, pursue; to suppress, persecute

wētā — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer