Where does “kau” come from?
kau (Proto-Polynesian) comes from Proto-Oceanic kayu, from Proto-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian kayu, from Proto-Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian kayu, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian kahiw, from Proto-Austronesian kaSiw — wood; tree.
kau (Proto-Polynesian): wood; tree
Ancestry of “kau”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Proto-Oceanic | kayu | wood; tree |
| 2 | Proto-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian | kayu | — |
| 3 | Proto-Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian | kayu | — |
| 4 | Proto-Malayo-Polynesian | kahiw | wood; tree |
| 5 | Proto-Austronesian | kaSiw | wood; tree |