Where does “hèn nhát” come from?

hèn nhát (Vietnamese) comes from Vietnamese hẹn, from Proto-Tai ʰɲelᴬ — civet cat; civet.

hèn nhát (Vietnamese): cowardly

Definitions

  1. cowardly

Ancestry of “hèn nhát”, step by step

hèn nhát traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Vietnamese hẹn

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Vietnamesehẹnto make an appointment; to arrange or promise;...
2Proto-Taiʰɲelᴬcivet cat; civet

via Vietnamese nhát

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Vietnamesenhátshy; timid; easily scared; timorous; cowardly;...
Every word from Proto-Tai ʰɲelᴬEvery word from Vietnamese hẹn