nanh vuốt

Vietnamese

Etymology

nanh (“fangs”) +‎ vuốt (“claws”). The henchman sense is a calque of Chinese 爪牙 (trảo nha).

Pronunciation

• (Hà Nội) IPA^(key): [najŋ̟˧˧ vuət̚˧˦]
• (Huế) IPA^(key): [nɛɲ˧˧ vuək̚˦˧˥]
• (Saigon) IPA^(key): [nan˧˧ vuək̚˦˥] ~ [nan˧˧ juək̚˦˥]

Noun

nanh vuốt • (𤘓𤔯)

1. fangs and claws
2. (figurative) clutches; evil grasp; hostile control
3. (figurative) a henchman; lackey