Where does “mờ ảo” come from?

mờ ảo (Vietnamese) comes from Vietnamese mở, from Thai หมอ, from Proto-Southwestern Tai ʰmɔːᴬ, from Proto-Tai ʰmoːᴬ, from Old Chinese 巫.

mờ ảo (Vietnamese): dim; vague; unclear; blurred

Definitions

  1. dim; vague; unclear; blurred

Ancestry of “mờ ảo”, step by step

mờ ảo traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Vietnamese mở

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Vietnamesemởto open, be open; to unfold, expand, open up; to...
2Thaiหมอexpert; wizard; fortuneteller; clairvoyant;...
3Proto-Southwestern Taiʰmɔːᴬshaman
4Proto-Taiʰmoːᴬshaman
5Old Chinese

via Vietnamese áo

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Vietnameseáoa top; an outfit
2Proto-Vieticʔaːwʔ
3Proto-Mon-Khmerʔaawʔupper garment
Every word from Old Chinese Every word from Proto-Tai ʰmoːᴬEvery word from Proto-Southwestern Tai ʰmɔːᴬ