Reconstruction:Proto-Austronesian/bahi

This Proto-Austronesian entry contains reconstructed terms and roots. As such, the term(s) in this entry are not directly attested, but are hypothesized to have existed based on comparative evidence.

• IPA^(key): /bahi/

*bahi

1. female, woman

• Formosan:
  • Amis: fafahi (“wife”), fafahiyan (“female, woman”); pafafahiyen (“get someone a wife”)
  • Papora: pai
  • Puyuma: babayan
  • Paiwan: vavayan
  • Rukai: ʔavai
• Proto-Malayo-Polynesian: *bahi (“woman, wife, female of animals”), *babinahi, *binahi
  • East Barito:
    • Lawangan: bawe
    • Ma'anyan: babei
    • Malagasy: vehivavy, vavy
  • Proto-Philippine: *bahi, *babahi; *mababahi (“to womanize, to court girls”); *babahiən (“to take a woman as mistress”); *binabahi (“effeminate”)
    • Abenlen Ayta: babai
    • Aklanon: babaye
    • Batad Ifugao: babāi, obay
    • Bontok: bai (“female animal”)
    • Cebuano: bayi, bai (“female animal or plant”), babaye (“woman, human female”), pamabayi (“to womenize”), panghimabayi (“to chase after women”), binabayi (“effeminate”), pagkababayi (“femininity”), kababayin-an (“group of women”), balayi (“parents of one's children-in-law”), binalayi (“daughter-in-law”)
    • Central Bontoc: babái
    • Central Cagayan Agta: babbay
    • Hanunoo: bayi (“femininity”); babayi (“woman, girl”)
    • Hiligaynon: babayi
    • Ibanag: babay
    • Ilocano: babai; babayen (“to court a woman”)
    • Isnag: babay
    • Itawit: babay
    • Proto-Kalamian:
      • Agutaynen: babay
    • Kankanaey: babái
    • Kapampangan: babai; mambabai (“to court girls”)
    • Limos Kalinga: babai
    • Manobo:
      • Binukid: bahi
      • Western Bukidnon Manobo: bahi
    • Maranao: bebay
    • Palawan Batak: baba'i
    • Sangir: bawine
    • Tagalog: bai, bayi (“princess, royal lady”), babae; mambabae (“to womanize”); babaihin (“take a concubine”); kababaihan (“womanhood, femininity”)
    • Tausug: babai
    • Waray-Waray: babaye
    • Yami: vai (“daughter-in-law”)
  • Proto-Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian: *bai (“woman, female”)
    • Alune: bina
    • Proto-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian:
      • Proto-Halmahera-Cenderawasih:
        • Biak: bin
        • Wandamen: babin
      • Proto-Oceanic: *papine, *pe- (“mother”)
        • Admiralty Islands: *pepine (“woman”)
          • Loniu: pihin
          • Lou: pein
          • Nali: pihin
          • Nauna: pehin
          • Penchal: pehin
          • Seimat: hehin
          • Sori-Harengan: bibiŋ
          • Titan: pein
          • Tulu-Bohuai: pihin
          • Wuvulu-Aua: pifine
        • Central-Eastern Oceanic:
          • Micronesian:
            • Chuukese: feefin (“woman, womanhood, female”)
            • Gilbertese: aine (“female”)
            • Pohnpeian: pein (“woman”), peinakapw (“young woman”)
            • Woleaian: faifil
          • North-Central Vanuatu:
            • Big Nambas: vənmaran (“old woman”)
            • Hiw: yeqën
            • Mav̋ea: v̋av̋ine (/ð̼að̼ine/, “woman”)
            • Mota: vavine
            • Mwotlap: lōqōvēn
            • Neverver: vin
            • Paamese: ahin
            • Raga: vavine
          • Proto-Polynesian: *fafine (see there for further descendants)
          • Sie: vevne (“sister of a man”)
          • Southeast Solomonic:
            • Bauro: hehene
            • Bughotu: vaivine
            • Fagani: hehene
            • Gela: vaivine
            • Kahua: hehene
            • Talise: vaivine
        • Niwer Mil: fifin
        • Ura (Vanuatu): yarvin
        • Western Oceanic:
          • Are: babine
          • Anuki: wavine
          • Arifama-Miniafia: babin (“woman”), babine (“old woman”)
          • Bilbil: pain
          • Biliau: paen
          • Bilur: vaina
          • Boselewa: vavine
          • Buhutu: waihin
          • Bulu (New Guinea): tavine
          • Bunama: wahine
          • Bwaidoka: vavine
          • Bwanabwana: waine
          • Dawawa: wavine
          • Diodio: vavine
          • Dobu: waine
          • Doga: babine
          • Duau: wahine
          • Gabadi: vavine
          • Gapapaiwa: wavine
          • Gedaged: pain
          • Ghayavi: wavine
          • Gweda: wavine
          • Iamalele: vavine
          • Kakabai: wavine
          • Kaninuwa: vivine
          • Keapara: vavine
          • Kilivila: vivila
          • Koluwawa: vavine
          • Konomala: fafni
          • Magori: vaini
          • Manam: áine
          • Mandara: vevine
          • Matukar: pain
          • Mbula: waine
          • Meramera: tavine
          • Minaveha: vavine
          • Mindiri: pen
          • Minigir: vavina
          • Molima: vavine
          • Motu: hahine
            • Hiri Motu: hahine
          • Muduapa: tavine
          • Nimoa: vaini
          • Patpatar: hahin
          • Ronji: pain
          • Roro: babine
          • Sepa (New Guinea): waine
          • Sinaugoro: vavine
          • Sio: taine
          • Suau: waihin
          • Takia: pein
          • Taupota: wavine
          • Tawala: wawine
          • Tolai: wawina
          • Torau: baine
          • Tungag: aina
          • Uneapa: tavine
          • Wab: pain
          • Wedau: wavine
          • Wogeo: veine
        • Yapese: pin
    • Kambera: kawini
    • Ngadha: fai
    • Sika: bai
    • Tetum: fen (“wife”)
  • Komodo: wine (ata wine (“woman”)
  • Li'o: fai
  • Kaili-Pamona:
    • Ledo Kaili: mombine
  • Proto-Malayo-Sumbawan:
    • Proto-Malayo-Chamic:
      • Proto-Chamic:
        • Bih: pine
      • Proto-Malayic: *bini (“wife, married woman”)
        • Nuclear Malayic
          • Malay: bini
            • Indonesian: bini
        • Malay: bai (“mother”)
        • Banjarese: binian
        • Iban: bini (“wife, married woman”)
          • → Betawi: bini (“wife”)
  • Muna-Buton:
    • Muna: roɓine
    • Tukang Besi North: wowine
    • Tukang Besi South: wowine
  • Palauan: babil (“female”)
  • Proto-South Sulawesi:
    • Bambam: baine
    • Mamasa: baine
    • Mandar: tobaine
  • Wotu-Wolio:
    • Wolio: bawine
  • Tunjung: wawe

This word shows a wide range of concurrent forms in various Austronesian languages. One of the most productive forms is PAN *babahi ("woman, lady, girl"), with CV- reduplication of the first syllable, which appears to convey a diminutive sense. In Proto-Philippine, this reduplicated form can be augmented by verbal affixes like PPh *ma- or PPh *-en. Finally, in Proto-Malayo-Polynesian this word is reconstructed either as Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *bahi (“woman, female of animals”) or as Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *babinahi (“woman, female”), with no apparent differences in meaning. The latter form probably gave rise to Proto-Oceanic *papine (“woman”), which is the only one attested for the term woman in Proto-Oceanic and Proto-Polynesian branches of the Austronesian language family, although the residual non-reduplicated form *pe- is still present as a prefix.

• Blust's Austronesian Comparative Dictionary — *bahi
• Lynch, John (1998) Pacific Languages: An Introduction, University of Hawaii Press, →ISBN
• Guérin, Valérie (2011) A Grammr of Mavea — An Oceanic Language of Vanuatu, University of Hawaii Press