fetū

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Tahitian

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Etymology

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From Proto-Polynesian *fetuqu (cognate with Hawaiian hōkū and Maori whetū), from Proto-Oceanic *pituqun, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *bituqən, from Proto-Austronesian *bituqən (cognate with Tagalog bituin). Astronomical sense displaced later by fetiʻa due to tapu by association with names of certain royalty.

Noun

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fetū

  1. (archaic, obsolete) star
    Synonym: fetiʻa
  2. starfish, sea star

References

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