Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “banh mi” come from?

banh mi (English) comes from Vietnamese bánh mì, from Vietnamese bánh, from French balle, from Middle French balle, from Italian balla, from Old French balle, from Medieval Latin balla, from Frankish balla.

banh mi (English): Alternative spelling of banh mi

Definitions

  1. Alternative spelling of banh mi

Ancestry of “banh mi”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Vietnamesebánh mìbread, especially Saigon-style short baguettes...
2Vietnamesebánhany sweet, salty, or savory food prepared from...
3Frenchballeball; bullet; franc , euro
4Middle Frenchballeball; bundle
5Italianballalarge bundle, torsello, bale, reap; falsehood,...
6Old Frenchballe—
7Medieval Latinballa—
8Frankishballa—
9Proto-Germanicballuzround object, ball; ball of the hand, foot, etc
10Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰel-to sound; to speak, roar, bark; shiny, white; to...
11Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰōl-—
Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰōl- →