Where does “whetūao” come from?

whetūao (Maori) comes from Maori whetū, from Proto-Polynesian *fetuqu, from Proto-Oceanic *pituqun, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian bituqən, from Proto-Austronesian bituqən — star.

Ancestry of “whetūao”, step by step

whetūao traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Maori whetū

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Maoriwhetū—
2Proto-Polynesian*fetuqustar luminous celestial body
3Proto-Oceanic*pituqunstar luminous celestial body
4Proto-Malayo-Polynesianbituqənstar
5Proto-Austronesianbituqənstar

via Maori ao

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Maoriaodaytime; world; cloud
2Proto-Polynesianqaocloud
Every word from Proto-Austronesian bituqən →Every word from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian bituqən →Every word from Proto-Oceanic *pituqun →