ຫຍ້າ

Lao

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Southwestern Tai *ʰɲaːꟲ¹ (“grass”), from Proto-Tai *ʰɲɯəꟲ (“grass”). Cognate with Thai หญ้า (yâa), Northern Thai ᩉ᩠ᨿ᩶ᩣ, Lü ᦊᦱᧉ (ẏaa²), Tai Dam ꪐ꫁ꪱ, Shan ယိူဝ်ႈ (yōe), ယႃႈ (yāa), Tai Nüa ᥕᥫᥲ (yòe), ᥕᥣᥲ (yàa), Phake ယႃ (yā), Ahom 𑜊𑜢𑜤𑜈𑜫 (jʸüw), 𑜊𑜠 (jʸa), 𑜊𑜡 (jʸā), 𑜐𑜠 (ña), Tày nhả, Bouyei nyal, Zhuang nywj, Nong Zhuang nyaj, Zuojiang Zhuang yaj.

Pronunciation

• (Vientiane) IPA^(key): [ɲaː˧˩]
• (Luang Prabang) IPA^(key): [ɲaː˥˥˨]
• Hyphenation: ຫຍ້າ
• Rhymes: -aː

Noun

ຫຍ້າ • (nyā)

1. grass
2. weed

Derived terms

• ເຄື່ອງຕັດຫຍ້າ (khư̄ang tat nyā, “lawn-mower”)
• ຫຍ້າຝັ່ນ (nyā fan, “saffron”)

 

References

• Kerr, Allen (1972) Lao-English Dictionary‎^[1], Catholic University Press. Searchable online at SEAlang.net.