Where does “tolu” come from?
tolu (Samoan) comes from Proto-Polynesian tolu, from Proto-Oceanic tolu, from Proto-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian təlu, from Proto-Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian təlu, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian təlu, from Proto-Austronesian təlu — three.
tolu (Samoan): three
Ancestry of “tolu”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Proto-Polynesian | tolu | three |
| 2 | Proto-Oceanic | tolu | — |
| 3 | Proto-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian | təlu | — |
| 4 | Proto-Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian | təlu | — |
| 5 | Proto-Malayo-Polynesian | təlu | three |
| 6 | Proto-Austronesian | təlu | three |