Where does “manavā” come from?

manavā (Tokelauan) comes from Proto-Polynesian *manawa, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian mañawa, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian nihawa, from Proto-Austronesian niSawa — breath.

manavā (Tokelauan): to be big-bellied

Definitions

  1. to be big-bellied

Ancestry of “manavā”, step by step

manavā traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Proto-Polynesian *manawa

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Proto-Polynesian*manawabreath
2Proto-Malayo-Polynesianmañawato breathe
3Proto-Malayo-Polynesiannihawabreath
4Proto-AustronesianniSawabreath

via Polynesian *manawa

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Polynesian*manawa
Every word from Proto-Austronesian niSawaEvery word from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian nihawaEvery word from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian mañawa