Where does “*kupu” come from?

*kupu (Proto-Polynesian) comes from Proto-Oceanic *puku, from Proto-Austronesian *bukuh.

Ancestry of “*kupu”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Proto-Oceanic*puku—
2Proto-Austronesian*bukuh—
Every word from Proto-Austronesian *bukuh →Every word from Proto-Oceanic *puku →
*kupu — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer