Where does “mata” come from?
mata (Rapa Nui) comes from Proto-Polynesian mata, from Proto-Oceanic *mata-, from Proto-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian mata, from Proto-Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian mata, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian mata, from Proto-Austronesian mata, from Proto-Austronesian maCa.
mata (Rapa Nui): eye
Ancestry of “mata”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Proto-Polynesian | mata | eye |
| 2 | Proto-Oceanic | *mata- | — |
| 3 | Proto-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian | mata | eye |
| 4 | Proto-Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian | mata | eye |
| 5 | Proto-Malayo-Polynesian | mata | eye |
| 6 | Proto-Austronesian | mata | eye |
| 7 | Proto-Austronesian | maCa | — |
Words derived from “mata”