 Due to increasing trade contacts with South Asia and the Indianization of Southeast Asia, the Bakunawa later became syncretized with the Nāga, Rahu, and Ketu of Hindu-Buddhist mythology.Bakunawa is believed to be originally a compound word meaning "bent snake", from Proto-Western-Malayo-Polynesian "*ba(ŋ)kuq" ("bent", "curved") and "*sawa" ("large snake", "python").Spelling variants include Vakonawa, Baconaua, or Bakonaua.