Where does “chân ướt chân ráo” come from?

chân ướt chân ráo (Vietnamese) comes from Vietnamese ướt, from Proto-Mon-Khmer kʔaac — wet.

chân ướt chân ráo (Vietnamese): naively; amateurly; artlessly; inexperiencedly

Definitions

  1. naively; amateurly; artlessly; inexperiencedly

Ancestry of “chân ướt chân ráo”, step by step

chân ướt chân ráo traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.

via Vietnamese ướt

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Vietnameseướtwet
2Proto-Mon-Khmerkʔaacwet

via Vietnamese rào

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Vietnameseràofence; to encircle; small river, creek, stream
2Middle Chinese牢—

via Vietnamese chân

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Vietnamesechâna foot; a leg; the lowest circumscribing area
Every word from Proto-Mon-Khmer kʔaac →Every word from Vietnamese ướt →
chân ướt chân ráo — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer