Where does “iʻa” come from?

iʻa (Samoan) comes from Proto-Polynesian ika, from Proto-Oceanic ikan, from Proto-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian ikan, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian hikan, from Proto-Austronesian Sikan — fish.

iʻa (Samoan): fish vertebrate animal

Definitions

  1. fish vertebrate animal

Ancestry of “iʻa”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Proto-Polynesianikafish
2Proto-Oceanicikanfish
3Proto-Eastern Malayo-Polynesianikanfish
4Proto-Malayo-Polynesianhikanfish
5Proto-AustronesianSikanfish
Every word from Proto-Austronesian SikanEvery word from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian hikanEvery word from Proto-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian ikan