Etymology Explorer › Tok Pisin

Where does “wantu” come from?

wantu (Tok Pisin) comes from Tok Pisin wan, from English One, from Middle English on, from Old English on, from Proto-West Germanic ana, from Proto-Germanic *an, from Proto-Germanic ana, from Proto-Indo-European h₂en- — on, onto.

wantu (Tok Pisin): Instantaneously; in an instant

Definitions

  1. Instantaneously; in an instant

Ancestry of “wantu”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Tok PisinwanThe number one; One. Used with units of...
2EnglishOne—
3Middle Englishonon, in; on; Alternative form of oon
4Old Englishonon, in, at, among; from
5Proto-West Germanicanaon
6Proto-Germanic*an—
7Proto-Germanicanaon, at; on, onto; ana
8Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂en-on, onto
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂en- →