Where does “gái mại dâm” come from?

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

gái mại dâm (Vietnamese): prostitute

Definitions

  1. prostitute

Ancestry of “gái mại dâm”, step by step

gái mại dâm traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Vietnamese gái

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

via Vietnamese mại dâm

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Vietnamesemại dâmto prostitute oneself
2Chinese賣淫to engage in prostitution; to prostitute oneself
Every word from Proto-Vietic t-keː →Every word from Vietnamese gái →