Where does “gái điếm” come from?

gái điếm (Vietnamese) comes from Vietnamese gái, from Proto-Vietic t-keː — thorn.

gái điếm (Vietnamese): prostitute

Definitions

  1. prostitute

Ancestry of “gái điếm”, step by step

gái điếm traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Vietnamese gái

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Vietnamesegáigirls and women; whores; female
2Proto-Vietict-keːthorn

via Vietnamese điếm

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Vietnameseđiếmbeing a cheater
2Chinese店—
Every word from Proto-Vietic t-keː →Every word from Vietnamese gái →