Where does “ato” come from?

ato (Rapa Nui) comes from Proto-Polynesian qato, from Proto-Oceanic qatop, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian qatəp — roof.

ato (Rapa Nui): to roof; to put a roof on

Definitions

  1. to roof; to put a roof on

Ancestry of “ato”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Proto-Polynesianqatothatch
2Proto-Oceanicqatoproof
3Proto-Malayo-Polynesianqatəproof
Every word from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian qatəp →Every word from Proto-Oceanic qatop →Every word from Proto-Polynesian qato →