Where does “xưa kia” come from?

xưa kia (Vietnamese) comes from Vietnamese kia, from Middle Chinese 其.

xưa kia (Vietnamese): formerly; in the past

Definitions

  1. formerly; in the past

Ancestry of “xưa kia”, step by step

xưa kia traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Vietnamese kia

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Vietnamesekiathat, over there; other, opposite; two removed...
2Middle Chinese其—

via Vietnamese xưa

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Vietnamesexưaold; ancient; a long time ago; old times
2Chinese初—
Every word from Middle Chinese 其 →Every word from Vietnamese kia →