Where does “giữ chân” come from?

giữ chân (Vietnamese) comes from Vietnamese giữ, from Proto-Vietic k-cɨh.

giữ chân (Vietnamese): to retain, to convince (someone) not to leave

Definitions

  1. to retain, to convince (someone) not to leave

Ancestry of “giữ chân”, step by step

giữ chân traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Vietnamese giữ

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Vietnamesegiữto keep, to hold and maintain as one's own; to...
2Proto-Vietick-cɨh

via Vietnamese chân

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Vietnamesechâna foot; a leg; the lowest circumscribing area
Every word from Proto-Vietic k-cɨhEvery word from Vietnamese giữ