Where does “trên dưới” come from?

trên dưới (Vietnamese) comes from Vietnamese dưới, from Proto-Vietic -taːlʔ, from Proto-Mon-Khmer kt₁aal — under-surface, under.

trên dưới (Vietnamese): everyone, regardless of age or status

Definitions

  1. everyone, regardless of age or status

Ancestry of “trên dưới”, step by step

trên dưới traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Vietnamese dưới

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Vietnamesedướiunder, below
2Proto-Vietic-taːlʔ—
3Proto-Mon-Khmerkt₁aalunder-surface, under

via Vietnamese trên

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Vietnamesetrênupper; higher, superior; on
2Proto-Vietick-leːɲ—
Every word from Proto-Mon-Khmer kt₁aal →Every word from Proto-Vietic -taːlʔ →Every word from Vietnamese dưới →