OUTOFPAPUA database: Lexicons of the West Papuan language area

Entry record from Fricke (2013): Hewa

'ai

Variants: 'ai pu'an

(1) n. wood.kayu.

(2) n. tree.pohon.

Semantic domain: plant

Etymology: PMP *kahiw

'ai aur

•  fire wood.kayu api.

'ai jawan

•  papaya.papaya.

Note: The second word 'jawan' might be an attribute composed of the noun 'jawa' and the suffix -n. The name 'jawa' historically refers to the island of Java or to a place overseas in general. Thus the name for 'papaya' could originally mean: javanese plant or a plant/tree from overseas. It is unknow to me so far if papaya was imported to Flores or if it is a local plant.

Semantic domain: plant