lời

See also: Appendix:Variations of "loi"

Vietnamese

Pronunciation

• (Hà Nội) IPA^(key): [ləːj˨˩]
• (Huế) IPA^(key): [ləːj˦˩]
• (Saigon) IPA^(key): [ləːj˨˩]

• Audio (Hà Nội):

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Etymology 1

From Middle Vietnamese mlời.

Attested in Phật thuyết đại báo phụ mẫu ân trọng kinh (佛說大報父母恩重經) as 𠅜, composed of 亠, simplified from 麻 (MC mae), and 例 (MC ljejH) (modern SV: ma lệ) and 麻例 (MC mae ljejH) (modern SV: ma lệ).

Alternative forms

• (Northern Vietnam) nhời

Noun

lời • (𠳒)

1. word; utterances
2. (music) words; lyrics

   lời bài hát ― song lyrics

3. (music) a verse

   lời 1 ― verse 1; the first verse

Classifier

lời

1. indicates utterances

   một lời hứa ― a promise

Derived terms

Derived terms

• lời lẽ
• lời nói
• trả lời

 

Etymology 2

Non-Sino-Vietnamese reading of Chinese 利 (“gains, advantage, profit, merit”, SV: lợi).

Noun

lời

1. profit, interest

Etymology 3

See trời.

This is the form from some coastal dialects of Northern Vietnam. Contrary to Phan Khôi (1931)'s proposal that lời is derived from trời, all the variants of this word - except for tời - emerged independently: the chief Central-Southern form trời, and now also the chief written form, resulted from the retroflexion of the /ɓl-/ cluster, the inland Northern form giời emerged from the fricativization of /ɓl-/ cluster characteristic of these dialects, and the coastal Northern form lời is the result of the loss of the labial element. In certain minor coastal Northern and Central dialects with /ʈ/-/t/ merger, the form tời is a further development from the retroflexed form. The form lời had already almost disappeared in its native range by the early 20th century, probably first due to the spread of giời from the more prestigious inland dialects, then due to the spread of the Central-Southern form trời due to literacy.

Like lái (as in lái tim), this form used to be associated with Christianity, due to the missionary activities in the southern coastal provinces of the Red River delta.

Noun

lời

1. (coastal Northern Vietnam, dated, likely obsolete) Alternative form of trời (“sky; heaven”)
   • 1897, P. G. Vallot, Grammaire annamite à l'usage des français de l'Annam et du Tonkin, Hanoi: F.H. Schneider, translation of original in French:

     Đầu trước hết khi Đức Chúa Lời muốn dựng nên lời đất cùng mọi sự trong thế gian này, [...]

     At first when the Heavenly Lord wanted to create the heaven and the earth along with everything that exists in this world, [...]

   • 1915, Synodo Tunquinensé. Công đồng hội lần thứ nhất. Miền Bắc Kỳ (Đàng Ngoài trong nước Annam), năm 1900., II edition:

     Khi mọi việc đã lọn thì các đấng Vítvồ đã ôm lấy nhau trong tay Đức Chúa Lời chúc mọi sự lành cho nhau, rồi lở về nơi mình bằng yên.

     Once everything is entirely done, the bishops embraced each other in our Lord in Heaven's grace and wished each other all the best, they then returned safely to their own dwelling.

   • 2008 [1934], Nikolai Ostrovsky, “Part II, Chapter 4”, in Thép Mới, transl., Thép đã tôi thế đấy!, translation of Как закалялась сталь (Kak zakaljalasʹ stalʹ) (in Russian):

     Người ta nói rằng bọn họ rất nghiêm khắc đối với những chuyện rượu chè, du côn vô lại và các chuyện chơi bời bậy bạ khác. Họ lại chăm học hành. Chỉ phải cái họ hay nhạo đức Chúa lời và cứ khăng khăng đòi lấy cái nhà thờ làm câu lạc bộ. Trong việc này họ trái hẳn đi rồi.

     'Tis said that they are very strict against drinking, hooliganism, and other debaucheries. They even study diligently. Still, they often pick on the Heavenly Lord and insist on taking the church to use as a club. Indeed, they're clearly in the wrong here.