Where does “mātau” come from?
mātau (Tuamotuan) comes from Proto-Polynesian ma(a)taqu, from Proto-Austronesian *taqu, from Proto-Austronesian Caqu — to know how, be able to.
mātau (Tuamotuan): to know
Ancestry of “mātau”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Proto-Polynesian | ma(a)taqu | to know; to understand |
| 2 | Proto-Austronesian | *taqu | — |
| 3 | Proto-Austronesian | Caqu | to know how, be able to |