Very little is known about the Rapa Nui language prior to European contact. The majority of Rapa Nui vocabulary is inherited directly from Proto–Eastern Polynesian. Due to extensive borrowing from Tahitian there now often exist two forms for what was the same word in the early language. For example, Rapa Nui has Tahitian "ite" alongside original "tikea" for 'to see', both derived from Proto-Eastern Polynesian *kitea. There are also hybridized forms of words such as "hakaite" 'to teach', from native "haka" (causative prefix) and Tahitian "ite".