Where does “ăn trắng mặc trơn” come from?

ăn trắng mặc trơn (Vietnamese) comes from Vietnamese trắng, from Proto-Vietic k-laŋʔ, from Proto-Mon-Khmer klaŋʔ.

Ancestry of “ăn trắng mặc trơn”, step by step

ăn trắng mặc trơn traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.

via Vietnamese trắng

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Vietnamesetrắngwhite; pale
2Proto-Vietick-laŋʔwhite
3Proto-Mon-Khmerklaŋʔ—

via Vietnamese ăn

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Vietnameseănto eat; Synonym of uống; to dine; to feast, to...
2Chinese安—

via Vietnamese mặc

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Vietnamesemặcto wear, to put on; to leave alone, to not care
2Proto-Vieticmak—
Every word from Proto-Mon-Khmer klaŋʔ →
ăn trắng mặc trơn — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer