chuối

See also: chuôi, chuồi, chuỗi, and chuội

Vietnamese

Pronunciation

• (Hà Nội) IPA^(key): [t͡ɕuəj˧˦]
• (Huế) IPA^(key): [t͡ɕuj˨˩˦]
• (Hồ Chí Minh City) IPA^(key): [cuj˦˥]

Etymology 1

From Middle Vietnamese chuối, chuếi (“banana”), from Proto-Vietic *caːjʔ or *cɔːjʔ (“banana”). Cognates include Tho caːj³, Hung caːj, Muong chuổi (“banana”).

Shorto (2006) compares Vietnamese chuối to Proto-Mon-Khmer *t₁luəjʔ, and mentioned that the expected reflex should be **truối. But this is unlikely as all cognates within Vietic show the palatal stop /c/ as in Vietnamese. Shorto's assignment is likely due to the shortage of resource. "Cognates" are Proto-Palaungic *klɔɔj; Proto-Khmuic *tlɔːj (whence Khmu [Cuang] tlɔːj).

Also compare Semai jai (/ɟai/), Temiar jai (/ɟai/), Jehai ɟaj.

Noun

(classifier cây, trái, quả) chuối • (荎, 桎, 棳, 槯, 樶, 𣑳)

1. banana
2. (slang) penis

Derived terms

• củ chuối

Etymology 2

Clipping of củ chuối

Adjective

chuối

1. (slang, Northern Vietnam) cringeworthy; cringy

   Hôm qua rượu vào lỡ thú với người ta. Chuối quá đi mất!

   I was so drunk up yesterday I confessed to her. Man, that's painful to think about!

   Nó bày trò ảo thuật bài mà quên bỏ bài vào trong áo, thành thử khi lên diễn thì chuối cả nải luôn!

   He wanted to do a card trick but forgot to hide cards in his jackets, so it was all out cringe when he went upstage!