< Reconstruction:Proto-Nuclear Polynesian

Reconstruction:Proto-Nuclear Polynesian/Sawaiki

This Proto-Nuclear Polynesian entry contains reconstructed terms and roots. As such, the term(s) in this entry are not directly attested, but are hypothesized to have existed based on comparative evidence.

Proto-Nuclear Polynesian

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): /sa.waˈi.ki/

Proper noun

*Sawaiki[1]

  1. homeland

Descendants
  • Hawaiian: Hawaiʻi
    • → Chinook Jargon: oihe (or via English)
    • → English: Hawaii, Hawaiʻi, Hawai'i, Hawai`i
  • Maori: Hawaiki
  • Niuean: Avaiki (?) – see below
  • Samoan: Savai'i
  • South Marquesan: Havaiki
  • Tongan: Savaiki

Usage notes

This term has attracted great interest on account of it being a linguistic record of the Polynesian migrations and perhaps the name of the homeland of the Lapita people. However, Pollex (below) and other sources believe it to be Proto-Nuclear-Polynesian, the grouping that contains most of the Polynesian languages, after they split off from Tongan and Niuean. Determining this may never be possible, as it depends in part on verifying the Niuean placename Avaiki (see Unilang, below).

References
  1. Ross Clark and Simon J. Greenhill, editors (2011), “SAWAIKI”, in POLLEX-Online: The Polynesian Lexicon Project Online
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