Where does “chữ” come from?

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

chữ (Vietnamese): alphabet, writing system, script; letter,...

Definitions

  1. alphabet, writing system, script; letter,...

Ancestry of “chữ”, step by step

chữ traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.

via Proto-Vietic cuːʔ

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Proto-Vieticcuːʔgrandchild; father's younger brother
2Proto-Mon-Khmercuuʔgrandchild

via Chinese 主

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Chinese主master; lord

via Middle Chinese 主

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Chinese主—

Words derived from “chữ”

Every word from Proto-Mon-Khmer cuuʔ →Every word from Proto-Vietic cuːʔ →