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
Ancestry of “kim chỉ nam”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Vietnamese | kìm | pincers, clamp |
| 2 | Chinese | 金 | gold; "orig." gold, golden |
| 3 | Proto-Sino-Tibetan | gǝ̆m | metal |