Where does “Tongatapu” come from?

Tongatapu (Tongan) comes from Tongan tapu, from Proto-Polynesian tapu, from Proto-Oceanic tabu, from Proto-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian tambu, from Proto-Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian tambu.

Ancestry of “Tongatapu”, step by step

Tongatapu traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Tongan tapu

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Tongantapuprohibited, sacred
2Proto-Polynesiantaputaboo
3Proto-Oceanictabu—
4Proto-Eastern Malayo-Polynesiantambu—
5Proto-Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesiantambu—

via Tongan Tonga

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1TonganTonga—
2Samoantogasouth; southern
Every word from Proto-Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian tambu →Every word from Proto-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian tambu →Every word from Proto-Oceanic tabu →