Where does “năm xưa” come from?

năm xưa (Vietnamese) comes from Vietnamese năm, from Proto-Chamic *nam, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian ənəm, from Proto-Austronesian ənəm, from Proto-Austroasiatic *ənəm.

năm xưa (Vietnamese): olden times; the old days; the past

Definitions

  1. olden times; the old days; the past

Ancestry of “năm xưa”, step by step

năm xưa traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Vietnamese năm

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Vietnamesenămfive; a year
2Proto-Chamic*namsix
3Proto-Malayo-Polynesianənəmsix
4Proto-Austronesianənəmsix
5Proto-Austroasiatic*ənəm—

via Vietnamese xưa

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Vietnamesexưaold; ancient; a long time ago; old times
2Chinese初—
Every word from Proto-Austroasiatic *ənəm →Every word from Proto-Austronesian ənəm →Every word from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian ənəm →