Where does “gái già” come from?

gái già (Vietnamese) comes from Vietnamese giá, from Proto-Vietic k-raː, from Proto-Mon-Khmer kraʔ — road, way.

gái già (Vietnamese): spinster, old maid

Definitions

  1. spinster, old maid

Ancestry of “gái già”, step by step

gái già traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Vietnamese giá

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Vietnamesegiáprice; bean sprouts; shelf
2Proto-Vietick-raː—
3Proto-Mon-Khmerkraʔroad, way

via Vietnamese gái

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Vietnamesegáigirls and women; whores; female
2Proto-Vietict-keːthorn
Every word from Proto-Mon-Khmer kraʔ →Every word from Proto-Vietic k-raː →Every word from Vietnamese giá →