Where does “nước ngoài” come from?
nước ngoài (Vietnamese) comes from Vietnamese người nước ngoài, from Vietnamese Người, from Proto-Vietic ŋaːj, from Proto-Mon-Khmer (m)ŋaaj — person, human being; human being; person.
nước ngoài (Vietnamese): a foreign country; foreign
Definitions
- a foreign country; foreign
Ancestry of “nước ngoài”, step by step
nước ngoài traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Vietnamese người nước ngoài
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vietnamese | người nước ngoài | a foreigner; an alien |
| 2 | Vietnamese | Người | You/Thou/Thee, Jesus Christ; You/Thou/Thee, my... |
| 3 | Proto-Vietic | ŋaːj | — |
| 4 | Proto-Mon-Khmer | (m)ŋaaj | person, human being; human being; person |
via Chinese 外國
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chinese | 外國 | foreign country |