Where does “dính dáng” come from?

dính dáng (Vietnamese) comes from Vietnamese đáng, from Proto-Vietic taŋʔ, from Proto-Mon-Khmer kt₂aŋ — bitter.

dính dáng (Vietnamese): to be implicated (in); to be involved (in)

Definitions

  1. to be implicated (in); to be involved (in)

Ancestry of “dính dáng”, step by step

dính dáng traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Vietnamese đáng

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Vietnameseđángworthy, worth; to deserve, to merit
2Proto-Vietictaŋʔbitter
3Proto-Mon-Khmerkt₂aŋbitter

via Vietnamese đinh

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Vietnameseđinha nail; a share of fees that a male member is...
2Chinese定—
Every word from Proto-Mon-Khmer kt₂aŋ →Every word from Proto-Vietic taŋʔ →Every word from Vietnamese đáng →