Where does “xưa nay” come from?

xưa nay (Vietnamese) comes from Vietnamese này, from Proto-Vietic -niː, from Proto-Mon-Khmer niʔ.

xưa nay (Vietnamese): since always

Definitions

  1. since always

Ancestry of “xưa nay”, step by step

xưa nay traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Vietnamese này

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Vietnamesenàythis; here
2Proto-Vietic-niː—
3Proto-Mon-Khmerniʔ—

via Vietnamese xưa

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Vietnamesexưaold; ancient; a long time ago; old times
2Chinese初—
Every word from Proto-Mon-Khmer niʔ →Every word from Proto-Vietic -niː →Every word from Vietnamese này →