Where does “tā” come from?

tā (Niuean) comes from Proto-Polynesian *ta, from Proto-Oceanic taʀaq, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian taʀaq, from Proto-Austronesian taʀaq — hewing with an adze.

tā (Niuean): to strike; to kill; to adze

Definitions

  1. to strike; to kill; to adze

Ancestry of “tā”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Proto-Polynesian*ta—
2Proto-Oceanictaʀaq—
3Proto-Malayo-Polynesiantaʀaqto hew wood with an adze
4Proto-Austronesiantaʀaqhewing with an adze
Every word from Proto-Austronesian taʀaq →Every word from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian taʀaq →Every word from Proto-Oceanic taʀaq →