Where does “kém” come from?

kém (Vietnamese) comes from French chou à la crème, from French crème, from Middle French chresme, from Old French cresme, from Late Latin crama, from Late Latin chrisma, from Ancient Greek χρῖσμα, from Ancient Greek χρίω — to rub; to stroke; to grind.

kém (Vietnamese): less; lesser; bad; preceding

Definitions

less; lesser; bad; preceding

Ancestry of “kém”, step by step

kém traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via French chou à la crème

Step	Language	Word	Meaning
1	French	chou à la crème	cream puff
2	French	crème	cream; cool; café crème
3	Middle French	chresme	cream (milk product)
4	Old French	cresme	cream
5	Late Latin	crama	skim; nominative plural of crāmum; accusative...
6	Late Latin	chrisma	ointment
7	Ancient Greek	χρῖσμα	anointing, unction; wall coating, plaster
8	Ancient Greek	χρίω	to rub or smear (especially the body) with oil or unguents; to anoint
9	Proto-Indo-European	gʰrēy-	to smear; to paint, streak, smear
10	Proto-Indo-European	gʰer-	to rub; to stroke; to grind

via Middle Chinese 減

Step	Language	Word	Meaning
1	Middle Chinese	減	—

Words derived from “kém”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European gʰer- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European gʰrēy- →Every word from Ancient Greek χρίω →