Where does “ato” come from?
ato (Tongan) comes from Proto-Polynesian qato, from Proto-Oceanic qatop, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian qatəp — roof.
ato (Tongan): thatch; To thatch
Ancestry of “ato”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Proto-Polynesian | qato | thatch |
| 2 | Proto-Oceanic | qatop | roof |
| 3 | Proto-Malayo-Polynesian | qatəp | roof |