Where does “ไหวพริบ” come from?

ไหวพริบ (Thai) comes from Thai ไหว, from Proto-Tai C̥.wajᴬ.

ไหวพริบ (Thai): alertness, astuteness, adroitness, ability to make quick judgments

Definitions

  1. alertness, astuteness, adroitness, ability to make quick judgments

Ancestry of “ไหวพริบ”, step by step

ไหวพริบ traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Thai ไหว

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Thaiไหวto shake, to tremble, to quake; capable
2Proto-TaiC̥.wajᴬ—

via Thai พริบ

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Thaiพริบto blink; to wink
Every word from Proto-Tai C̥.wajᴬ →Every word from Thai ไหว →