Where does “chối cãi” come from?

chối cãi (Vietnamese) comes from Vietnamese cái, from Proto-Vietic -keːʔ — woman, female.

chối cãi (Vietnamese): to refute; to dispute; to disavow

Definitions

  1. to refute; to dispute; to disavow

Ancestry of “chối cãi”, step by step

chối cãi traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Vietnamese cái

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Vietnamesecáia thing; a whatsit; the solid bits of a broth;...
2Proto-Vietic-keːʔwoman, female

via Vietnamese chối

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Vietnamesechốito deny; to refuse; to decline
Every word from Proto-Vietic -keːʔEvery word from Vietnamese cái