Where does “anito” come from?

anito (Tagalog) comes from Tagalog ani, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *qanih, from Proto-Austronesian *qaniS.

anito (Tagalog): idol; heathen deity; god

Definitions

  1. idol; heathen deity; god

Ancestry of “anito”, step by step

anito traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Tagalog ani

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Tagaloganiharvest
2Proto-Malayo-Polynesian*qanihharvest
3Proto-Austronesian*qaniS—

via Proto-Malayo-Polynesian qanitu

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Proto-Malayo-Polynesianqanitughost; owl
2Proto-AustronesianqaNiCughost; owl

Words derived from “anito”

Every word from Proto-Austronesian *qaniS →Every word from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *qanih →Every word from Tagalog ani →