Where does “sánh vai” come from?

sánh vai (Vietnamese) comes from Vietnamese vải, from Proto-Vietic k-paːs, from Proto-Mon-Khmer kpaas — cotton.

sánh vai (Vietnamese): to be side by side; shoulder to shoulder

Definitions

  1. to be side by side; shoulder to shoulder

Ancestry of “sánh vai”, step by step

sánh vai traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Vietnamese vải

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Vietnamesevảicloth, fabric; lychee
2Proto-Vietick-paːs—
3Proto-Mon-Khmerkpaascotton

via Vietnamese sánh

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Vietnamesesánhviscid, viscous; to compare; to weigh one's self...
Every word from Proto-Mon-Khmer kpaas →Every word from Proto-Vietic k-paːs →Every word from Vietnamese vải →