Where does “ông bà” come from?
ông bà (Vietnamese) comes from Vietnamese bà, from Chinese 爸, from Chinese 父, from Komodo paʔ, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian əpat, from Proto-Austronesian Səpat — four.
ông bà (Vietnamese): grandparents; ancestor
Ancestry of “ông bà”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Vietnamese | bà | a grandmother; an old woman; an old lady; you, my... |
| 2 | Chinese | 爸 | — |
| 3 | Chinese | 父 | — |
| 4 | Komodo | paʔ | four |
| 5 | Proto-Malayo-Polynesian | əpat | four |
| 6 | Proto-Austronesian | Səpat | four |
Words derived from “ông bà”