Where does “kiếm ăn” come from?

kiếm ăn (Vietnamese) comes from Vietnamese kiếm, from Vietnamese tìm, from Chinese 尋.

kiếm ăn (Vietnamese): to make a living

Definitions

  1. to make a living

Ancestry of “kiếm ăn”, step by step

kiếm ăn traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Vietnamese kiếm

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Vietnamesekiếma sword; to seek, to search, to find
2Vietnamesetìmto search, to seek, to look for; to find
3Chinese尋—

via Vietnamese ăn

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Vietnameseănto eat; Synonym of uống; to dine; to feast, to...
2Chinese安—
Every word from Chinese 尋 →Every word from Vietnamese tìm →Every word from Vietnamese kiếm →
kiếm ăn — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer