[An-lang] papa

[John Lynch]

Given that papa is used for father in a huge number of languages around the
world - just as mama is for mother - isn't it far more likely that we are
not dealing with a word of Polynesian origin but basically some human baby
talk phenomenon ... since p/b, m, d (dada) and a are usually among the very
first sounds acquired?

-----Original Message-----
From: Pila Wilson [mailto:pila_w at leoki.uhh.hawaii.edu]
Sent: Tuesday, 21 October 2003 2:04 p.m.
To: David Gunn
Cc: "mailto:dagunn"@uophx.edu; An-lang at anu.edu.au
Subject: Re: [An-lang] papa

In Hawaiian, papa has to do with flatness and in Hawaiian geneologies is
the name of the woman who gave birth to many of the Hawaiian islands.
Papa with two long "a"s is from English and is a term for Dad, but not the
word for father.

wahi a "David Gunn" <dagunn at email.uophx.edu>:
>Hello - I'm interested in the word "papa".  I read recently that this
>word means "father" in Maori and Moriori.  I know "papa" means rock or a
>board in some Polynesian languages. I just want to know how far the word
>"papa" is used throughout Polynesia in the sense of "father" or having
>something to do with geneology.  I also want to know if the word is
>definitley of Polynesian origin as opposed to being a European loan word.
>
>If you'd like to answer straight to my email, you can reply to [
>mailto:dagunn at uophx.edu ]mailto:dagunn at uophx.edu
>
>Thanks!
>
>David Gunn_______________________________________________
>An-lang mailing list
>An-lang at anu.edu.au
>http://mailman.anu.edu.au/mailman/listinfo/an-lang


_______________________________________________
An-lang mailing list
An-lang at anu.edu.au
http://mailman.anu.edu.au/mailman/listinfo/an-lang
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://listserv.linguistlist.org/pipermail/an-lang/attachments/20031021/51d751c3/attachment.htm>
-------------- next part --------------
_______________________________________________
An-lang mailing list
An-lang at anu.edu.au
http://mailman.anu.edu.au/mailman/listinfo/an-lang