Where does “mata” come from?

mata (Niuean) comes from Proto-Polynesian mata, from Proto-Oceanic *mata-, from Proto-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian mata, from Proto-Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian mata, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian mata, from Proto-Austronesian mata, from Proto-Austronesian maCa — eye organ.

mata (Niuean): eye

Definitions

  1. eye

Ancestry of “mata”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Proto-Polynesianmataeye
2Proto-Oceanic*mata-eye organ
3Proto-Eastern Malayo-Polynesianmataeye
4Proto-Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesianmataeye
5Proto-Malayo-Polynesianmataeye
6Proto-Austronesianmataeye
7Proto-AustronesianmaCaeye organ
Every word from Proto-Austronesian maCa →Every word from Proto-Austronesian mata →Every word from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian mata →