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-.
keli (Tongan): to dig
Ancestry of “keli”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Proto-Polynesian | *keli | — |
| 2 | Proto-Oceanic | keli | — |
| 3 | Proto-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian | *kali | — |
| 4 | Proto-Malayo-Chamic | *kali | — |
| 5 | Proto-Malayo-Polynesian | kali | — |
| 6 | Proto-Austronesian | kalih | — |
| 7 | Old Javanese | ka- | — |
| 8 | Proto-Malayo-Polynesian | ka- | — |
| 9 | Proto-Austronesian | ka- | — |