English
kacau
Kacau comes from Malay kacau ‘to disturb’, and goes back to Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *kacaw.
- Proto-Malayo-Polynesianprehistoric (reconstructed)*kacaw‘to disturb’reconstructed
- Malaymodernkacau‘to disturb’
- Englishearliest quotation 2014same form
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Malayo-Polynesianprehistoric (reconstructed)*kacaw‘to disturb’reconstructed
- Malaymodernkacau‘to disturb’
- Englishearliest quotation 2014same form
Earliest quotation: 2014, Cheryl Lu-Lien Tan, Singapore Noir: “So even when his army kaki gajiau-ed him for…”
Every English word from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *kacaw
Today it means
verb To disturb; to bother or trouble (someone).
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *kacaw / kacau