Where does “chơi chữ” come from?

chơi chữ (Vietnamese) comes from Vietnamese chữ, from Proto-Vietic cuːʔ, from Proto-Mon-Khmer cuuʔ — grandchild.

chơi chữ (Vietnamese): to play on words; to make wordplay; to skillfully make puns

Definitions

  1. to play on words; to make wordplay; to skillfully make puns

Ancestry of “chơi chữ”, step by step

chơi chữ traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Vietnamese chữ

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Vietnamesechữalphabet, writing system, script; letter,...
2Proto-Vieticcuːʔgrandchild; father's younger brother
3Proto-Mon-Khmercuuʔgrandchild

via Vietnamese chơi

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Vietnamesechơito play (an instrument, a sport, etc.)
Every word from Proto-Mon-Khmer cuuʔ →Every word from Proto-Vietic cuːʔ →Every word from Vietnamese chữ →