Where does “bánh kem” come from?

bánh kem (Vietnamese) comes from Vietnamese kém, from French chou à la crème, from French crème, from Middle French chresme, from Old French cresme, from Late Latin crama, from Late Latin chrisma, from Ancient Greek χρῖσμα — to rub; to stroke; to grind.

bánh kem (Vietnamese): cream cake

Definitions

  1. cream cake

Ancestry of “bánh kem”, step by step

bánh kem traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Vietnamese kém

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Vietnamesekémless; lesser; bad; preceding
2Frenchchou à la crèmecream puff
3Frenchcrèmecream; cool; café crème
4Middle Frenchchresmecream (milk product)
5Old Frenchcresmecream
6Late Latincramaskim; nominative plural of crāmum; accusative...
7Late Latinchrismaointment
8Ancient Greekχρῖσμαanointing, unction; wall coating, plaster
9Ancient Greekχρίωto rub or smear (especially the body) with oil or unguents; to anoint
10Proto-Indo-Europeangʰrēy-to smear; to paint, streak, smear
11Proto-Indo-Europeangʰer-to rub; to stroke; to grind

via Vietnamese bánh

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Vietnamesebánhany sweet, salty, or savory food prepared from...
2Frenchballe(small) ball
3Middle Frenchballeball; bundle
4Italianballalarge bundle, torsello, bale, reap; falsehood,...
5Old Frenchballe
6Medieval Latinballa
7Frankishballa
8Proto-Germanicballuzround object, ball; ball of the hand, foot, etc
9Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰel-to sound; to speak, roar, bark; shiny, white; to...
10Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰōl-
Every word from Proto-Indo-European gʰer-Every word from Proto-Indo-European gʰrēy-Every word from Ancient Greek χρίω