Etymology Explorer › Tagalog

Where does “Malayo” come from?

Malayo (Tagalog) comes from Spanish malayo, from Malay Melayu, from Malay Malayu, from Old Javanese layū, from Proto-Sunda-Sulawesi lariw, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian laʀiw, from Proto-Austronesian laʀiw.

Ancestry of “Malayo”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1SpanishmalayoMalay
2MalayMelayuMalay
3MalayMalayu—
4Old Javaneselayū—
5Proto-Sunda-Sulawesilariw—
6Proto-Malayo-Polynesianlaʀiw—
7Proto-Austronesianlaʀiw—
Every word from Proto-Austronesian laʀiw →