Where does “kaivoa” come from?

kaivoa (Votic) comes from Latvian kaiva, from Proto-Finnic kaivadak, from Proto-Uralic kajwa- — dig.

Ancestry of “kaivoa”, step by step

kaivoa traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Latvian kaiva

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Latviankaivagull, seagull; alternative form of kaija
2Proto-Finnickaivadakto dig up, to excavate
3Proto-Uralickajwa-dig

via Votic oa

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Voticoa
Every word from Proto-Uralic kajwa-Every word from Proto-Finnic kaivadakEvery word from Latvian kaiva
kaivoa — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer