Where does “than thở” come from?

than thở (Vietnamese) comes from Vietnamese thân, from Chinese 炭, from Proto-Sino-Tibetan tal — charcoal; dust; ashes.

than thở (Vietnamese): to sigh; to lament

Definitions

  1. to sigh; to lament

Ancestry of “than thở”, step by step

than thở traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Vietnamese thân

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Vietnamesethânclose or even best; relative; pro-
2Chinese炭coal
3Proto-Sino-Tibetantalcharcoal; dust; ashes

via Vietnamese thở

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Vietnamesethởto breathe out; to exhale; to breathe
2Proto-Vietictʰəhto breathe
Every word from Proto-Sino-Tibetan tal →Every word from Chinese 炭 →Every word from Vietnamese thân →