Where does “nay mai” come from?

nay mai (Vietnamese) comes from Vietnamese này, from Proto-Vietic -niː, from Proto-Mon-Khmer niʔ.

nay mai (Vietnamese): promptly; very soon; right away

Definitions

  1. promptly; very soon; right away

Ancestry of “nay mai”, step by step

nay mai traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Vietnamese này

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Vietnamesenàythis; here
2Proto-Vietic-niː—
3Proto-Mon-Khmerniʔ—

via Vietnamese mài

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Vietnamesemàito grind
2Proto-Vieticmeːʔ—
3Proto-Mon-Khmermeeʔ—
Every word from Proto-Mon-Khmer niʔ →Every word from Proto-Vietic -niː →Every word from Vietnamese này →