dưỡng khí

Vietnamese

Etymology

    Sino-Vietnamese word from 氧氣, composed of (oxygen) and (gas). The Chinese character (dưỡng) is composed of (khí, chemical radical for "gassy" elements) +  / (dưỡng, to nurture), due to the life-sustaining attribute of oxygen.

    Pronunciation

    • (Hà Nội) IPA(key): [zɨəŋ˦ˀ˥ xi˧˦]
    • (Huế) IPA(key): [jɨəŋ˧˨ kʰɪj˨˩˦]
    • (Saigon) IPA(key): [jɨəŋ˨˩˦ kʰɪj˦˥]

    Noun

    dưỡng khí

    1. (dated) oxygen (molecular oxygen)
      Synonym: khí oxi

    Usage notes

    • The word is dated on its own, but it is still frequently used in some contexts and compounds, such as bình dưỡng khí (scuba).

    See also