| This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium. Particularly: “Orginally a verb? I think the meaning was either "to coagulate" or "to pull". In the latter case, the connection with kéo would be obvious (cf. kẹo kéo), can't be sure though since kéo is also obscure in origin and this could easily just be gut feeling. 膠／胶 (jiāo) (glue > sticky > (sticky) sweets) is another easy target but it would be necessary to explain why this word that is overwhelmingly read with tone A can be borrowed with tone B (in fact it was already borrowed as keo with the perfectly matching tone A).” |
Most likely unrelated to Chinese 五 (MC nguX).
kẹo
(numerals in pig traders' cant) số đếm trong tiếng lóng lái lợn; chách (“one”), lái/nái (“two”), thâm (“three”), chớ (“four”), kẹo (“five”), mục (“six”), khắp/hấp (“seven”), bét (“eight”), khươm/khơm (“nine”), nạp/lạp (“ten”), (Category: vi:Numerals in pig traders' cant)