Where does “cây xanh” come from?

cây xanh (Vietnamese) comes from Vietnamese xanh, from French saint, from Latin sānctus, from Latin Iacobus, from Ancient Greek Ἰάκωβος, from Ancient Greek Ἰακώβ, from Hebrew יַעֲקֹב, from Hebrew עָקֵב — heel of the foot; heel.

cây xanh (Vietnamese): green plants, plants planted for a green environment in cities and the like

Definitions

  1. green plants, plants planted for a green environment in cities and the like

Ancestry of “cây xanh”, step by step

cây xanh traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Vietnamese xanh

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Vietnamesexanhgrue; green; wok
2Frenchsaintsaint; saintly
3Latinsānctussacred, made inviolable, having been established as sacred
4LatinIacobusJacob; James; Saint James
5Ancient GreekἸάκωβος
6Ancient GreekἸακώβJacob
7HebrewיַעֲקֹבJacob
8Hebrewעָקֵבheel of the foot; heel

via Vietnamese cây

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Vietnamesecâytree; plant; Short for cây số
2Proto-Vieticgəl
3Proto-Mon-Khmer(d)kərtree; plant; tree, plant
Every word from Hebrew עָקֵבEvery word from Hebrew יַעֲקֹבEvery word from Ancient Greek Ἰακώβ