wanan (Yami)

Where does "wanan" come from?

The Yami word 'wanan', meaning 'right,' traces its origins back to the ancient Proto-Austronesian root *waNan. It later evolved into Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *wanan before branching out into various descendant languages. Its linguistic footprint is clearly visible in related terms such as 'kawanan' in Kavalan and 'kanan' in Malay, reflecting a shared ancestral heritage across Austronesian cultures.

Full etymology tree

• wanan (Yami), 'right (direction)'
  • inherited *wanan (Proto-Malayo-Polynesian)
    • inherited *waNan (Proto-Austronesian)
    • inherited *wanaN (Proto-Austronesian)

Ancestors

• *(ka-)wanan (Proto-Malayo-Polynesian)

Cognates and doublets

• kanan (Malay)

Updated June 2026

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Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris