Where does “tangata manu” come from?

tangata manu (Rapa Nui) comes from Rapa Nui manu, from Proto-Polynesian *manu, from Proto-Oceanic manu, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian manuk, from Proto-Austronesian manuk — bird; chicken.

tangata manu (Rapa Nui): birdman

Definitions

  1. birdman

Ancestry of “tangata manu”, step by step

tangata manu traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Rapa Nui manu

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Rapa Nuimanubird
2Proto-Polynesian*manu—
3Proto-Oceanicmanu—
4Proto-Malayo-Polynesianmanukbird
5Proto-Austronesianmanukbird; chicken

via Rapa Nui tangata

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Rapa Nuitangatahuman being; man; person
2Proto-Polynesiantaŋataman, person
3Proto-Oceanic*tamʷatahuman being, person
Every word from Proto-Austronesian manuk →Every word from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian manuk →Every word from Proto-Oceanic manu →