Where does “keli” come from?

keli (Tongan) comes from Proto-Polynesian *keli, from Proto-Oceanic keli, from Proto-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian *kali, from Proto-Malayo-Chamic *kali, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian kali, from Proto-Austronesian kalih, from Old Javanese ka-, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian ka- — inchoative.

keli (Tongan): to dig

Definitions

  1. to dig

Ancestry of “keli”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Proto-Polynesian*keli
2Proto-Oceanickeli
3Proto-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian*kali
4Proto-Malayo-Chamic*kali
5Proto-Malayo-Polynesiankalito dig up; to excavate
6Proto-Austronesiankalihto dig up; to excavate
7Old Javaneseka-passive verb-forming prefix
8Proto-Malayo-Polynesianka-marker of past time in temporal expressions
9Proto-Austronesianka-inchoative
Every word from Proto-Austronesian ka-Every word from Old Javanese ka-Every word from Proto-Austronesian kalih
keli — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer