Where does “thầy chùa” come from?

thầy chùa (Vietnamese) comes from Vietnamese chúa, from Middle Chinese 字 — letter, symbol, character; character.

thầy chùa (Vietnamese): a monk

Definitions

  1. a monk

Ancestry of “thầy chùa”, step by step

thầy chùa traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Vietnamese chúa

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Vietnamesechúathe retired father of a monarch of feudal...
2Middle Chineseletter, symbol, character; character

via Vietnamese thầy

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1VietnamesethầySynonym of sư; a teacher; Synonym of thầy giáo
Every word from Middle Chinese Every word from Vietnamese chúa
thầy chùa — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer