Where does “ông nội” come from?

ông nội (Vietnamese) comes from Vietnamese ông, from Proto-Vietic ʔɔːŋ, from Proto-Mon-Khmer ʔuŋ — wasp; hornet.

ông nội (Vietnamese): a paternal grandfather

Definitions

  1. a paternal grandfather

Ancestry of “ông nội”, step by step

ông nội traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Vietnamese ông

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Vietnameseônggrandfather; grandpa; Sir; Mr; you, my...
2Proto-Vieticʔɔːŋhoney bee
3Proto-Mon-Khmerʔuŋwasp; hornet

via Vietnamese nói

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Vietnamesenóito speak, to talk, to say, to tell
2Chinese內—
Every word from Proto-Mon-Khmer ʔuŋ →Every word from Proto-Vietic ʔɔːŋ →Every word from Vietnamese ông →