Etymology

From Middle Vietnamese chuối or chuếi ‎(“Indian fig”), Proto-Vietic *caːjʔ or *cɔːjʔ ‎(“banana”), from Proto-Mon-Khmer *kɟaːiʔ or *t₁luəjʔ ‎(“banana”). Possible cognates include Tho /caːj³/, Hung /caːj/, Muong chuổi ‎(banana), Khmer ចេក ‎(ceːk, ceːc, “banana”), Ngeq /callɔk/ (“trunk or edible center of banana tree”), Khmu /kɟɔːk/, Semai /ɟai/, Temiar /ɟai/, Jehai /ɟaj/, Thai หยวก ‎(jùːak, “trunk of banana tree”).

Pronunciation

• (Hà Nội) IPA^(key): [ṯɕuɜj˧ˀ˦]
• (Huế) IPA^(key): [ṯɕuj˩ˀ˧]
• (Hồ Chí Minh City) IPA^(key): [c̻uj˦ˀ˥]