Viet
/vjɛt/noun
A Vietnamese person, especially as used in informal English.
Did you know?Việt is the Sino-Vietnamese reading of 越, an ancient Chinese name applied broadly to several southern peoples—not originally only to the Vietnamese.
Etymological Timeline
Late Old Chinese
Old Chinese
越
“An ethnonym used by Chinese sources for peoples south of the Yangtze; the precise original pronunciation is reconstructed and debated.”
Middle Chinese
Middle Chinese
越
“A name associated with the southern Yue peoples and the ancient state of Yue.”
Medieval Vietnamese
Vietnamese
Việt
“The Sino-Vietnamese reading of the Chinese character 越, used in Vietnamese historical and ethnic names.”
19th Century
Vietnamese
Việt Nam
“The Vietnamese national name, conventionally interpreted as referring to the Việt people of the south.”
20th Century
English
Viet
“An English shortening used for a Vietnamese person, especially in informal or historical contexts.”