Where does “thầy cãi” come from?

thầy cãi (Vietnamese) comes from Vietnamese cái, from Proto-Vietic -keːʔ — woman, female.

thầy cãi (Vietnamese): lawyer

Definitions

  1. lawyer

Ancestry of “thầy cãi”, step by step

thầy cãi traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Vietnamese cái

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Vietnamesecáia thing; a whatsit; the solid bits of a broth;...
2Proto-Vietic-keːʔwoman, female

via Vietnamese thầy

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1VietnamesethầySynonym of sư; a teacher; Synonym of thầy giáo
Every word from Proto-Vietic -keːʔEvery word from Vietnamese cái