Where does “ke-” come from?
ke- (Old Malay) comes from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian ka-, from Proto-Austronesian ka- — inchoative.
Ancestry of “ke-”, step by step
ke- traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Proto-Malayo-Polynesian ka-
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Proto-Malayo-Polynesian | ka- | marker of past time in temporal expressions |
| 2 | Proto-Austronesian | ka- | inchoative |
via Proto-Oceanic *ka-
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Proto-Oceanic | *ka- | marker of past time in temporal expressions |