Where does “trước tiên” come from?

trước tiên (Vietnamese) comes from Vietnamese trước, from Proto-Vietic k-laːk — before, in front of.

trước tiên (Vietnamese): first of all; firstly; foremost

Definitions

  1. first of all; firstly; foremost

Ancestry of “trước tiên”, step by step

trước tiên traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Vietnamese trước

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Vietnamesetrướcbefore; in front of; ago
2Proto-Vietick-laːkbefore, in front of

via Vietnamese Tiên

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1VietnameseTiên—
2Middle Chinese仙—
Every word from Proto-Vietic k-laːk →Every word from Vietnamese trước →
trước tiên — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer