Where does “kai” come from?

kai (Tokelauan) comes from Proto-Polynesian kai, from Proto-Oceanic kani, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian kaən, from Proto-Austronesian kaən — to eat.

kai (Tokelauan): to eat

Definitions

  1. to eat

Ancestry of “kai”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Proto-Polynesiankaifood
2Proto-Oceanickanito eat consume
3Proto-Malayo-Polynesiankaənto eat
4Proto-Austronesiankaənto eat
Every word from Proto-Austronesian kaən →Every word from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian kaən →Every word from Proto-Oceanic kani →