Where does “lẽ ra” come from?

lẽ ra (Vietnamese) comes from Vietnamese rà, from Latin rēx, from Proto-Italic rēks, from Proto-Indo-European h₃rḗǵs, from Proto-Indo-European h₃reǵ- — to straighten, to right oneself; right; just.

lẽ ra (Vietnamese): supposed to; to do something proper in the past instead

Definitions

  1. supposed to; to do something proper in the past instead

Ancestry of “lẽ ra”, step by step

lẽ ra traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Vietnamese rà

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Vietnameseràto check
2Latinrēxking, ruler
3Proto-Italicrēksking
4Proto-Indo-Europeanh₃rḗǵsking, ruler
5Proto-Indo-Europeanh₃reǵ-to straighten, to right oneself; right; just

via Vietnamese lễ

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Vietnameselễbribe; offering; festival, festive day, holiday;...
2Proto-Vietick-lɛː—
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₃reǵ- →