Where does “lea” come from?
lea (Tongan) comes from Proto-Polynesian leo, from Proto-Oceanic leqo, from Proto-Oceanic *(qa-)liqoʀ, from Proto-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian *liqəʀ, from Proto-Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian *liqəʀ, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian liqəʀ, from Proto-Austronesian liqəʀ — neck.
lea (Tongan): language; speech
Ancestry of “lea”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Proto-Polynesian | leo | voice; language; speech |
| 2 | Proto-Oceanic | leqo | — |
| 3 | Proto-Oceanic | *(qa-)liqoʀ | — |
| 4 | Proto-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian | *liqəʀ | — |
| 5 | Proto-Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian | *liqəʀ | — |
| 6 | Proto-Malayo-Polynesian | liqəʀ | neck |
| 7 | Proto-Austronesian | liqəʀ | neck |