Where does “phở” come from?

phở (Vietnamese) comes from Vietnamese vô, from Vietnamese vụ, from Chinese 務, from Sino-Tibetan *mow.

phở (Vietnamese): pho; to clear

Definitions

  1. pho; to clear

Ancestry of “phở”, step by step

phở traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.

via Vietnamese vô

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Vietnamesevôto enter; to go into; to toast; emphasizing...
2Vietnamesevụseason; case, affair; specialized department...
3Chinese務—
4Sino-Tibetan*mow—

via Chinese 虛

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Chinese虛—

via French Prusse

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1FrenchPrussePrussia

Words derived from “phở”

Every word from Sino-Tibetan *mow →Every word from Chinese 務 →Every word from Vietnamese vụ →