Where does “besi” come from?
besi (Tetum) comes from Malay besi, from Proto-Malayic bəsi, from Proto-Malayo-Chamic bəsi.
besi (Tetum): iron
Ancestry of “besi”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Malay | besi | iron |
| 2 | Proto-Malayic | bəsi | — |
| 3 | Proto-Malayo-Chamic | bəsi | — |