Where does “bigman” come from?

bigman (Tok Pisin) comes from English big, from Middle English big, from Proto-Germanic bugja-, from Proto-Indo-European bʰew- — to grow, swell; to swell, wax, grow; to blow; to...

bigman (Tok Pisin): leader

Definitions

  1. leader

Ancestry of “bigman”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishbigOf great size, large; Thought to have undue...
2Middle Englishbig—
3Proto-Germanicbugja-swollen up, thick
4Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰew-to grow, swell; to swell, wax, grow; to blow; to...
Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰew- →Every word from Proto-Germanic bugja- →Every word from Middle English big →