Where does “không thể” come from?

không thể (Vietnamese) comes from Vietnamese không, from Chinese 空, from Proto-Sino-Tibetan (g/k)uŋ — hole; orifice; hole; orifice; inner part.

không thể (Vietnamese): unable, incapable; impossible

Definitions

  1. unable, incapable; impossible

Ancestry of “không thể”, step by step

không thể traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Vietnamese không

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Vietnamesekhôngnot; idly, without doing anything; not have; to...
2Chinese空empty, hollow
3Proto-Sino-Tibetan(g/k)uŋhole; orifice; hole; orifice; inner part

via Vietnamese thế

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Vietnamesethếposition; posture; condition; situation; power;...
2Chinese矢—
3Sino-Tibetan*tV-lij—
Every word from Proto-Sino-Tibetan (g/k)uŋ →Every word from Chinese 空 →Every word from Vietnamese không →
không thể — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer