vú

See also: vù, vü, vu, VU, vũ, Vũ, ʋu, and .vu

Vietnamese

Alternative forms

• vếu

Etymology

From Middle Vietnamese ꞗú, from Proto-Vietic *k-buːʔ, the prefixed deriviate of Proto-Vietic *buːʔ ~ ʔuːʔ (“to suck at breast”). Cognate with Muong Bi pủ (“breast”). Related to bú (“to suckle”), which derived from the bare root.

Pronunciation

• (Hà Nội) IPA^(key): [vu˧˦]
• (Huế) IPA^(key): [vʊw˨˩˦]
• (Saigon) IPA^(key): [vʊw˦˥] ~ [jʊw˦˥]
• Homophone: dú

• Audio (Hồ Chí Minh City):

  (file)

Noun

vú • (布, 乳, 𠄀, 𡝦, 𦜘)

1. (anatomy, of a primate) a breast
2. (anatomy, by extension, of a non-primate mammal) a body part that functions similarly to the primate breast or nipple; an udder, a teat, etc.

   vú bò ― a cow udder

3. wet nurse
   • 1934, Nguyễn Công Hoan, chapter I, in Lá ngọc cành vàng, Tân Dân:

     – Vú em! / – Dạ. / – Sao vú cứ hát nhảm thế? Ru bài khác không được à?

     "Wet nurse!" "Yes." "Why does wet nurse sing such stupidities? Can't you sing another lullaby?"

Usage notes

• Albeit used in scientific contexts, this term is still informally considered risqué, and people tend to use euphemisms, such as ngực (“chest”), instead.

See also

• núm vú (“nipple”)
• vú sữa (“Chrysophyllum cainito”)
• ức