dái tai
Vietnamese
Etymology
Originally a compound of giái (“fruit”) + tai (“ear”), the first element is an alternative form of trái (see giai for the sound change).[1] The current spelling is probably due to the ‹gi›-‹d› merger in most dialects and influence from folk etymology (as if from dái (“scrotum”) + tai, cf. Korean 귓불 (gwitbul)). Compare Phong Nha dialect ʈɤj³²⁴ which means both "fruit" and "earlobe", while "scrotum, testicles" is ɗaj³²⁴.[2]
Pronunciation
- (Hà Nội) IPA(key): [zaːj˧˦ taːj˧˧]
- (Huế) IPA(key): [jaːj˨˩˦ taːj˧˧]
- (Hồ Chí Minh City) IPA(key): [jaːj˦˥ taːj˧˧]
Noun
dái tai
- earlobe
References
- Vũ, Đức Nghiệu. "Các biến đổi ngữ âm lịch sử với việc tạo từ tiếng Việt".
- Ferlus, Michel; Michaud, Alexis; Nguyễn, Minh Châu. "Strata of standardization: The Phong Nha dialect of Vietnamese (Quảng Bình Province) in historical perspective".