From: benlizro@ihug.co.nz

On 4/11/2025 12:13 a.m., DDeden wrote:
>
> I've been trying to determine if Malay tarian (dance) is cognate with
Tahitian ori Tahiti (hula-like dance)
> are cognate, and if they relate to Malay tarikh (pull, of the hands)
regarding the style of dancing recently seen in Malaysia during President
Trump's visit to Malaysia, or to the action of scrubbing, scraping with the
hands.
>
> I tried using Blust et al dictionary, but how to compare these words?
>
> ACD - Austronesian Comparative Dictionary Online - https://sha
e.google/TR4RCOq9NpEmSHL6i
>
> Ai tells me ori and tarian aren't cognate, but I don't trust it.
>

I wouldn't either. But in this case, I don't see much to connect them.
They have one syllable (-ri-) in common.

Blust seems to have nothing at all for Malay tari(-an). If you use the
"Finderlist" and look at reconstructions for "dance", there's nothing
particularly suggestive. It may be unique to Malay.

Tahitian 'ori seems to be a general term for dance, and has lots of
Polynesian cognates (PPN *koli, sometimes *koni). Possible adjacent
senses with the same form are "rejoice", "move around" and possibly
"copulate". But I have no cognates beyond Polynesian.

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