Where does “trái ngang” come from?

trái ngang (Vietnamese) comes from Vietnamese trái, from Proto-Vietic p-laːs, from Proto-Mon-Khmer laas — to spread; to extend.

trái ngang (Vietnamese): absurd

Definitions

  1. absurd

Ancestry of “trái ngang”, step by step

trái ngang traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Vietnamese trái

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Vietnamesetráileft; reverse; morally wrong, unreasonable,...
2Proto-Vieticp-laːsfathom
3Proto-Mon-Khmerlaasto spread; to extend

via Vietnamese ngang

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Vietnamesenganghorizontal; to the side; unreasonably stubborn
2Proto-Vieticp-ŋaːŋ—
Every word from Proto-Mon-Khmer laas →Every word from Proto-Vietic p-laːs →Every word from Vietnamese trái →