Where does “hòm thư” come from?

hòm thư (Vietnamese) comes from Vietnamese thứ, from Chinese 首, from Proto-Sino-Tibetan *qV-luʔ — head.

hòm thư (Vietnamese): mailbox

Definitions

  1. mailbox

Ancestry of “hòm thư”, step by step

hòm thư traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Vietnamese thứ

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Vietnamesethứinferior in quality, second, second vice, under;...
2Chinese首neck
3Proto-Sino-Tibetan*qV-luʔhead

via Vietnamese hòm

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Vietnamesehòmtrunk; case; box; coffin; casket
2Chinese函—
Every word from Proto-Sino-Tibetan *qV-luʔ →Every word from Chinese 首 →Every word from Vietnamese thứ →