ao dai

Where does the word "ao dai" come from? It comes from Vietnamese áo dài, and was adopted directly into English (mid-1900s).

Ao dai’s story begins in Vietnamese: áo dài meant “a long, fitted tunic worn over trousers.” Literally 'long shirt', a fitted tunic worn over trousers that evolved into Vietnam's national dress. It reached English by mid-1900s as ao dai. The modern fitted form was designed in the 1930s by the Hanoi artist Cát Tường; English speakers came to know it through reporting from Saigon during the Vietnam War. Today, ao dai means the traditional Vietnamese national dress, a fitted tunic worn over loose trousers.

1. Stage 1 · Vietnamese · 18th century áo dài "a long, fitted tunic worn over trousers", literally 'long shirt', a fitted tunic worn over trousers that evolved into Vietnam's national dress.
2. Stage 2 · English · mid-1900s ao dai "Vietnam's traditional fitted tunic-and-trouser dress", the modern fitted form was designed in the 1930s by the Hanoi artist Cát Tường; English speakers came to know it through reporting from Saigon during the Vietnam War.