Viet

Part of speech: noun, adjective

Definitions

1. A member of an ethnic group primarily from Vietnam; a native or inhabitant of Vietnam; related to the language, culture, or people of Vietnam
2. An individual belonging to the Vietnamese ethnic population; someone originating from the Southeast Asian country of Vietnam; connected with Vietnamese traditions and language
3. A person of Vietnamese descent; a resident or citizen of Vietnam; associated with the linguistic and cultural attributes of Vietnam

Etymology: The word "Viet" is a loanword taken straight from Vietnamese, where "Việt" is the name the people and their language use for themselves. English speakers borrowed it as a short form that sits alongside "Vietnam" and "Vietnamese," and it is used mainly as a noun for a member of the ethnic group and as an adjective for things relating to that group. Its meaning inside Vietnamese is older than the modern nation's name. "Việt" is an old term for peoples of the region, and the Vietnamese long used it as part of their identity, so when English adopted it, the word carried the group's own self-designation rather than a label given by outsiders. That explains why the word sounds unlike the English names it sits beside, which were shaped by other languages.

Synonyms: Vietnamese