Where does “wai” come from?
wai (Owa) comes from Proto-Oceanic waiʀ, from Proto-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian waiʀ, from Proto-Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian waiʀ, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian wahiʀ — water.
wai (Owa): water
Ancestry of “wai”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Proto-Oceanic | waiʀ | water |
| 2 | Proto-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian | waiʀ | water |
| 3 | Proto-Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian | waiʀ | water |
| 4 | Proto-Malayo-Polynesian | wahiʀ | water |