Where does “trái tim” come from?
trái tim (Vietnamese) comes from Vietnamese trái, from Proto-Vietic p-laːs, from Proto-Mon-Khmer laas — to spread; to extend.
trái tim (Vietnamese): heart
Ancestry of “trái tim”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Vietnamese | trái | left; reverse; morally wrong, unreasonable,... |
| 2 | Proto-Vietic | p-laːs | fathom |
| 3 | Proto-Mon-Khmer | laas | to spread; to extend |