Where does “ngần ngại” come from?

ngần ngại (Vietnamese) comes from Vietnamese ngại, from Chinese 𠊎, from Proto-Sino-Tibetan ŋa, from Proto-Sino-Tibetan l/b-ŋa — five.

ngần ngại (Vietnamese): to hesitate (to); to hold back (from); to be reluctant (to)

Definitions

  1. to hesitate (to); to hold back (from); to be reluctant (to)

Ancestry of “ngần ngại”, step by step

ngần ngại traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Vietnamese ngại

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Vietnamesengạiworried, hesitant, fearful; to fear, to be afraid
2Chinese𠊎—
3Proto-Sino-TibetanŋaI
4Proto-Sino-Tibetanl/b-ŋafive

via Vietnamese ngắn

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Vietnamesengắnshort, brief
2Malaydenganwith; and; by
3Old Malaydaṅan—
4Proto-Malayic*dəŋan—
Every word from Proto-Sino-Tibetan l/b-ŋa →