Where does “nhát gan” come from?

nhát gan (Vietnamese) comes from Vietnamese gần, from Proto-Vietic t-kaːn, from Old Chinese 肝.

nhát gan (Vietnamese): weak-hearted; gutless

Definitions

  1. weak-hearted; gutless

Ancestry of “nhát gan”, step by step

nhát gan traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Vietnamese gần

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Vietnamesegầnnear; nearby; close; nearly; almost
2Proto-Vietict-kaːn—
3Old Chinese肝—

via Vietnamese nhát

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Vietnamesenhátshy; timid; easily scared; timorous; cowardly;...
Every word from Old Chinese 肝 →Every word from Proto-Vietic t-kaːn →Every word from Vietnamese gần →