Where does “kim chỉ nam” come from?

kim chỉ nam (Vietnamese) comes from Vietnamese kìm, from Chinese 金, from Proto-Sino-Tibetan gǝ̆m — metal.

kim chỉ nam (Vietnamese): guidance; a beacon

Definitions

  1. guidance; a beacon

Ancestry of “kim chỉ nam”, step by step

kim chỉ nam traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Vietnamese kìm

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Vietnamesekìmpincers, clamp
2Chinese金gold; "orig." gold, golden
3Proto-Sino-Tibetangǝ̆mmetal

via Chinese 指南針

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Chinese指南針compass
Every word from Proto-Sino-Tibetan gǝ̆m →Every word from Chinese 金 →Every word from Vietnamese kìm →