Where does “kiêng cữ” come from?

kiêng cữ (Vietnamese) comes from Vietnamese cú, from French coup, from Old French colp, from Latin colpus, from Ancient Greek κόλπος, from Proto-Indo-European kʷelp-, from Proto-Indo-European kʷel- — to turn.

kiêng cữ (Vietnamese): to avoid; to abstain from; to refrain from

Definitions

  1. to avoid; to abstain from; to refrain from

Ancestry of “kiêng cữ”, step by step

kiêng cữ traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Vietnamese

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Vietnamesean owl; hoot; to knuckle one's head
2Frenchcoupblow, hit, strike; fast and instantaneous action;...
3Old Frenchcolpstrike; hit
4Latincolpusstroke; strike; hit
5Ancient Greekκόλποςbosom, lap; a fold in fabric around the bosom;...
6Proto-Indo-Europeankʷelp-to bend; to curve, arch
7Proto-Indo-Europeankʷel-to turn

via Vietnamese kiêng

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Vietnamesekiêngto avoid; to refrain (from); to abstain (from)
2Chineserespectful
Every word from Proto-Indo-European kʷel-