Where does “ngang ngửa” come from?

ngang ngửa (Vietnamese) comes from Vietnamese ngang, from Proto-Vietic p-ŋaːŋ.

ngang ngửa (Vietnamese): disorderly; topsy-turvy

Definitions

  1. disorderly; topsy-turvy

Ancestry of “ngang ngửa”, step by step

ngang ngửa traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Vietnamese ngang

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Vietnamesenganghorizontal; to the side; unreasonably stubborn
2Proto-Vieticp-ŋaːŋ—

via Vietnamese ngửa

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Vietnamesengửaface-up
2Proto-Vietict-ŋahto lie on the back
Every word from Proto-Vietic p-ŋaːŋ →Every word from Vietnamese ngang →