Where does “trai gái” come from?

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

trai gái (Vietnamese): boys and men and girls and women

Definitions

  1. boys and men and girls and women

Ancestry of “trai gái”, step by step

trai gái 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 gái

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Vietnamesegáigirls and women; whores; female
2Proto-Vietict-keːthorn
Every word from Proto-Mon-Khmer laas →Every word from Proto-Vietic p-laːs →Every word from Vietnamese trái →