con nít

Vietnamese

Etymology

Compound of con (child) +‎ nít (small (of a child)); the second element is inherited from Proto-Vietic *ɗiːt (small), from Proto-Austroasiatic *kɗiətʔ (small). Cognate with Riang [Lang] kᵊndiət² ("small"), Khasi khyndiat (few, little), Mon ဍောတ်.

Pronunciation

  • (Hà Nội) IPA(key): [kɔn˧˧ nit̚˧˦]
  • (Huế) IPA(key): [kɔŋ˧˧ nit̚˦˧˥]
  • (Saigon) IPA(key): [kɔŋ˧˧ nɨt̚˦˥]

Noun

con nít

  1. (Central Vietnam, Southern Vietnam, derogatory elsewhere) small child, kid
    • 1957, Đoàn Giỏi, chapter 3, in Đất rừng phương Nam, Kim Đồng:
      Con nít ở đây đều nếm mùi thịt rắn từ hồi còn trong bụng mẹ.
      The kids around here get a taste for snake meat from when still inside their mothers' bellies.

Derived terms

  • con nít con nôi
  • con nít quỷ