ngoái
Vietnamese
Etymology
From Proto-Mon-Khmer *waj(-h) ~ *waaj(-h) (“to turn; to wave”) (although tone is unexplained); cognate with Khmer ឆ្វាយ (chvaay, “to coil”), Mon သဝဲ (həwoa, “to turn round an axis; to wave”). Related to quay (“to turn”), quậy (“to stir”), oằn oại (“to writhe; to squirm”).
Pronunciation
- (Hà Nội) IPA(key): [ŋwaːj˧˦]
- (Huế) IPA(key): [ŋwaːj˨˩˦]
- (Hồ Chí Minh City) IPA(key): [ŋwaːj˦˥]
Verb
ngoái (𢫑, 𩠘)
- to turn (one's head) round
Derived terms
- năm ngoái