วานูอาตู (Thai) comes from English Vanuatu, from Bislama Vanuatu, from Undetermined vanua, from Proto-Oceanic panua, from Proto-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian *banua, from Proto-Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian *banua, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian banua, from Proto-Austronesian banua — inhabited land.