Where does “xương rắn” come from?

xương rắn (Vietnamese) comes from Vietnamese rắn, from Proto-Vietic m-rəɲʔ, from Proto-Mon-Khmer (d)mrəɲʔ — body louse.

xương rắn (Vietnamese): Euphorbia milii, the crown of thorns

Definitions

  1. Euphorbia milii, the crown of thorns

Ancestry of “xương rắn”, step by step

xương rắn traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Vietnamese rắn

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Vietnameserắna non-constricting snake, as opposed to a trăn;...
2Proto-Vieticm-rəɲʔbody louse
3Proto-Mon-Khmer(d)mrəɲʔbody louse

via Vietnamese xương

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Vietnamesexươngbone
2Proto-Vietic*ɟaːŋ//*tʃɨəŋ
Every word from Proto-Mon-Khmer (d)mrəɲʔ