kinh nguyệt

Vietnamese

Etymology

Partial calque of Chinese 月經／月经 (nguyệt kinh, literally “monthly meridian”) by reversing the position of the head element, kinh, to conform to native morphology. Compare thần kinh (literally “spiritual meridian”).

Pronunciation

• (Hà Nội) IPA^(key): [kïŋ˧˧ ŋwiət̚˧˨ʔ]
• (Huế) IPA^(key): [kɨn˧˧ ŋwiək̚˨˩ʔ]
• (Hồ Chí Minh City) IPA^(key): [kɨn˧˧ ŋwiək̚˨˩˨]

Noun

kinh nguyệt • (經月)

1. menstruation; menses

   Synonym: kinh