Where does “aitua” come from?

aitua (Tokelauan) comes from Tokelauan aitu, from Proto-Polynesian *qaitu, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian qanitu, from Proto-Austronesian qaNiCu — ghost; owl.

aitua (Tokelauan): to be haunted

Definitions

  1. to be haunted

Ancestry of “aitua”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Tokelauanaitughost
2Proto-Polynesian*qaitughost spirit of the dead
3Proto-Malayo-Polynesianqanitughost; owl
4Proto-AustronesianqaNiCughost; owl
Every word from Proto-Austronesian qaNiCu →Every word from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian qanitu →Every word from Proto-Polynesian *qaitu →