Where does “Châu Phi” come from?

Châu Phi (Vietnamese) comes from Vietnamese phí, from Chinese 肥, from English fail, from Middle English failen, from Anglo-Norman faillir, from Vulgar Latin fallire, from Latin fallō, from Proto-Indo-European ǵʰwel- — to bend; to lie, deceive.

Ancestry of “Châu Phi”, step by step

Châu Phi traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.

via Vietnamese phí

Step	Language	Word	Meaning
1	Vietnamese	phí	to waste; to squander; to spend; fee; expenses
2	Chinese	肥	—
3	English	fail	To be unsuccessful; Not to achieve a particular...
4	Middle English	failen	—
5	Anglo-Norman	faillir	alternative infinitive of falir; to fail, err
6	Vulgar Latin	fallire	—
7	Latin	fallō	to deceive, beguile, trick, cheat, delude, ensnare, disappoint
8	Proto-Indo-European	ǵʰwel-	to bend; to lie, deceive

via Vietnamese châu

Step	Language	Word	Meaning
1	Vietnamese	châu	a province in ancient China and its colonies;...
2	Proto-Vietic	cuːʔ	grandchild; father's younger brother
3	Proto-Mon-Khmer	cuuʔ	grandchild

via Chinese 非洲

Step	Language	Word	Meaning
1	Chinese	非洲	of bad luck

Every word from Proto-Indo-European ǵʰwel- →Every word from Latin fallō →Every word from Vulgar Latin fallire →