tadau (Central Dusun)
Where does "tadau" come from?
The Central Dusun word 'tadau,' meaning both 'sun' and 'day,' finds its roots in the Proto-Malayo-Polynesian term '*qaləjaw.' This ancient root is also the ancestor of related words across Austronesian languages, such as the Cebuano 'adlaw' and the Tagalog 'araw.' Its linguistic lineage stretches back even further to the Proto-Austronesian word '*qajaw,' connecting the cyclical passage of daylight to the celestial body that marks it.
Full etymology tree
- tadau (Central Dusun), 'sun'
- inherited *qaləjaw (Proto-Malayo-Polynesian), 'day'
- inherited *qajaw (Proto-Austronesian)
- inherited *qaləjaw (Proto-Malayo-Polynesian), 'day'
Ancestors
- *qaləjaw (Proto-Malayo-Polynesian)
Cognates and doublets
- adlaw (Cebuano)
- araw (Tagalog)
- adlaw (Tausug)
Updated June 2026
Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris