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Ao dai

2 stages from Vietnamese to English.

Today it means the traditional Vietnamese national dress, a fitted tunic worn over loose trousers

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

1
Stage 1 of 2
áo dài
Vietnamese · 18th century
"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 of 2
ao dai
English · mid-1900s
"Vietnam's traditional fitted tunic-and-trouser dress"
borrowed by Western writers and fashion journalists describing Vietnamese dress
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