Reconstruction:Proto-Austronesian/bahi
Proto-Austronesian
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /bahi/
Descendants
- Formosan:
- Malayo-Polynesian: *bahi (“woman, wife, female of animals”), *babinahi
- Borneo-Philippines:
- East Barito:
- Philippine: *bahi, *babahi; *mababahi (“to womanize, to court girls”); *babahiən (“to take a woman as mistress”); *binabahi (“effeminate”)
- Abenlen Ayta: babai
- Aklanon: babaye
- Batad Ifugao: babāi, obay
- Bontok: bai (“female animal”)
- Cebuano: bayi, babaye
- Central Bontoc: babái
- Central Cagayan Agta: babbay
- Hanunoo: bayi (“femininity”); babayi (“woman, girl”)
- Hiligaynon: babayi
- Ibanag: babay
- Ilocano: babai; babayen (“to court a woman”)
- Isnag: babay
- Itawit: babay
- Kalamian:
- Agutaynen: babay
- Kankanaey: babái
- Kapampangan: babai mambabai (“to court girls”)
- Limos Kalinga: babai
- Manobo:
- Maranao: bebay
- Palawan Batak: baba'i
- Sangir: bawine
- Tagalog: bai, bayi (“princess, royal lady”), babae; mambabae (“to womanize”); babaihin (“take a concubine”); kababaihan (“womanhood, femininity”)
- Tausug: babai
- Waray-Waray: babaye
- Yami: vai (“daughter-in-law”)
- Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian: *bai (“woman, female”)
- Alune: bina
- Eastern Malayo-Polynesian:
- Halmahera-Cenderawasih:
- Oceanic: *papine, *pe- (“mother”)
- Admiralty Islands: *pepine (“woman”)
- Central-Eastern Oceanic:
- Micronesian:
- North-Central Vanuatu:
- Polynesian: *fafine
- Niuean: fifine
- Nuclear Polynesian:
- Anuta: papine
- East Futuna: fafine
- Eastern Polynesian:
- Kapingamarangi: ahina (“woman, female”)
- Nukuoro: hahine
- Ontong Java: hine
- Pileni: hahine
- Rennellese: hahine
- Samoan: fafine
- Sikaiana: hahine
- Takuu: ffine
- Tuvaluan: fafine
- Wallisian: fafine
- Tongan: fefine (“woman”), fehuhu (“mother”)
- Sie: vevne (“sister of a man”)
- Southeast Solomonic:
- Niwer Mil: fifin
- Ura (Vanuatu): yarvin
- Western Oceanic:
- Are: babine
- Anuki: wavine
- Arifama-Miniafia: babin (“woman”), babine (“old woman”)
- Bilbil: pain
- Biliau: paen
- Bilur: vaina
- Boselewa: vavine
- Buhutu: waihin
- Bulu (New Guinea): tavine
- Bunama: wahine
- Bwaidoka: vavine
- Bwanabwana: waine
- Dawawa: wavine
- Diodio: vavine
- Dobu: waine
- Doga: babine
- Duau: wahine
- Gabadi: vavine
- Gapapaiwa: wavine
- Gedaged: pain
- Ghayavi: wavine
- Gweda: wavine
- Iamalele: vavine
- Kakabai: wavine
- Kaninuwa: vivine
- Keapara: vavine
- Kilivila: vivila
- Koluwawa: vavine
- Konomala: fafni
- Magori: vaini
- Manam: áine
- Mandara: vevine
- Matukar: pain
- Mbula: waine
- Meramera: tavine
- Minaveha: vavine
- Mindiri: pen
- Minigir: vavina
- Molima: vavine
- Motu: hahine
- Hiri Motu: hahine
- Muduapa: tavine
- Nimoa: vaini
- Patpatar: hahin
- Ronji: pain
- Roro: babine
- Sepa (New Guinea): waine
- Sinaugoro: vavine
- Sio: taine
- Suau: waihin
- Takia: pein
- Taupota: wavine
- Tawala: wawine
- Tolai: wawina
- Torau: baine
- Tungag: aina
- Uneapa: tavine
- Wab: pain
- Wedau: wavine
- Wogeo: veine
- Yapese: pin
- Kambera: kawini
- Ngadha: fai
- Sika: bai
- Tetum: fen (“wife”)
- Komodo: wine (ata wine (“woman”)
- Li'o: fai
- Sunda-Sulawesi:
- Tunjung: wawe
- Borneo-Philippines:
Usage notes
This word shows a wide range of concurrent forms in various Austronesian languages. One of the most productive forms is PAN *babahi ("woman, lady, girl"), with CV- reduplication of the first syllable, which appears to convey a diminutive sense. In Proto-Philippine, this reduplicated form can be augmented by verbal affixes like PPh *ma- or PPh *-en. Finally, in Proto-Malayo-Polynesian this word is reconstructed either as Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *bahi (“woman, female of animals”) or as Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *babinahi (“woman, female”), with no apparent differences in meaning. The latter form probably gave rise to Proto-Oceanic *papine (“woman”), which is the only one attested for the term woman in Proto-Oceanic and Proto-Polynesian branches of the Austronesian language family, although the residual non-reduplicated form *pe- is still present as a prefix.
References
- Blust's Austronesian Comparative Dictionary — *bahi
- Lynch, John (1998) Pacific Languages: An Introduction, University of Hawaii Press, →ISBN
- Guérin, Valérie (2011) A Grammr of Mavea — An Oceanic Language of Vanuatu, University of Hawaii Press