Another theory suggests that the term is derived from the name Aki Nabalu meaning the `` revered place of the dead '' , in which , Aki means `` ancestors '' or `` grandfather '' , and Nabalu being a name for the mountain in the Dusun language . Kinabalu derived from the name Aki Nabalu meaning the `` revered place of the dead '' , in which , Aki means `` ancestors '' or `` grandfather '' , and Nabalu being a name for the mountain in the Dusun language .