Where does “ຊ້າງນ້ຳ” come from?

ຊ້າງນ້ຳ (Lao) comes from Lao ຊ້າງ, from Proto-Tai *ɟaːŋꟲ, from Middle Chinese 象, from Old Chinese 象 — elephant.

ຊ້າງນ້ຳ (Lao): hippopotamus

Definitions

  1. hippopotamus

Ancestry of “ຊ້າງນ້ຳ”, step by step

ຊ້າງນ້ຳ traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Lao ຊ້າງ

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Laoຊ້າງelephant
2Proto-Tai*ɟaːŋꟲelephant
3Middle Chinese象elephant; image, resemblance
4Old Chinese象elephant

via Lao ນ້ຳ

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Laoນ້ຳwater; liquid, sauce
2Proto-Tai*C̬.namꟲwater
Every word from Old Chinese 象 →Every word from Middle Chinese 象 →Every word from Proto-Tai *ɟaːŋꟲ →