Where does “karabàw” come from?

karabàw (Waray-Waray) comes from Malay kerbau, from Proto-Malayic kAr(ə)baw, from Proto-Mon-Khmer *krpiʔ.

Ancestry of “karabàw”, step by step

Step	Language	Word	Meaning
1	Malay	kerbau	water buffalo
2	Proto-Malayic	kAr(ə)baw	—
3	Proto-Mon-Khmer	*krpiʔ	—

karabàw — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer