tám hoánh

Vietnamese

Etymology

The second element is a fossilized morpheme. For the use of tám (“eight”) with the figurative meaning of "many", see also tám đời vương. Compare Chinese 八 (bā, “eight, many”), Old Japanese 八 (ya, “eight, many”).

Pronunciation

• (Hà Nội) IPA^(key): [taːm˧˦ hwajŋ̟˧˦]
• (Huế) IPA^(key): [taːm˦˧˥ hwɛɲ˦˧˥]
• (Hồ Chí Minh City) IPA^(key): [taːm˦˥ wan˦˥]

Adverb

tám hoánh

1. a long time ago
   • 1978, Chu Lai, chapter 4, in Nắng đồng bằng, NXB Quân đội Nhân dân:

     Chuyện ấy tớ nghe từ tám hoánh rồi, trẻ con nó cũng thuộc chứ quê cậu hồi nào?

     I've been hearing that one since forever, even the kids know it by heart by now; when did it happen back at your home?