Where does “xấu xí” come from?

xấu xí (Vietnamese) comes from Vietnamese xí, from French cire, from Middle French cire, from Old French cire, from Latin cēra — wax, beeswax, honeycomb.

xấu xí (Vietnamese): ugly

Definitions

  1. ugly

Ancestry of “xấu xí”, step by step

xấu xí traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Vietnamese xí

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Vietnamesexíto appropriate (something) to oneself; to claim or assume (presumptuously)
2Frenchcirewax; beeswax; earwax
3Middle Frenchcire—
4Old Frenchcire—
5Latincērawax, beeswax, honeycomb

via Vietnamese xấu

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Vietnamesexấuugly; hideous; bad; of low quality; bad; devious
2Chinese醜—
Every word from Latin cēra →Every word from Old French cire →Every word from Middle French cire →