sáp
Each syllable carries one of six tones; the mark on the vowel tells you which. How the six tones sound →
sáp means wax; pomade.
Meanings of sáp in English
Noun
- wax
- pomade
- Hà Tĩnh, Nghệ An candle ≈ nến
- abbreviation clipping of bút sáp (“crayon”)
Words with sáp
Historical script (chữ Nôm / Hán)
Before the Latin alphabet (chữ Quốc ngữ) became standard, sáp could be written as 蠟, 臘. Today Vietnamese is written only in the Latin alphabet.
Etymology
From Proto-Vietic *k-raːp (“wax”), probably from Old Chinese 蠟 (OC *k.rˤap) (B-S) (SV: lạp). However, as the Chinese word was not attested until the 2nd to 3rd century CE, the loan direction could be from Proto-Vietic into Old Chinese instead. In that case, the Proto-Vietic could be from another Sino-Tibetan source; compare Proto-Sino-Tibetan *s-krjap (“bug; ant; insect (lac); cochineal”), whence Burmese ချိပ် (hkyip, “lac”), Proto-Loloish *C-gripᴸ (“lac; pine”), Jingpho krep (“bedbug”).
Frequently asked questions
What does sáp mean in English?
sáp (noun) means "wax; pomade".
How do you pronounce sáp?
IPA: Hanoi [saːp̚˧˦]; Saigon [ʂaːp̚˦˥]. Tones: sáp — rising tone (sắc).