ma nữ

See also: Manu, Man U, manu, manú, and mānu

Vietnamese

Etymology

Sino-Vietnamese word from 魔女 (“witch”), literally "magical female". The syllable ma is often associated with its non-Sino-Vietnamese meaning (which is "ghost"), hence the common misapplication of the term.

Alternatively, simply from a compound of ma (“ghost”) +‎ nữ (“female”).

Pronunciation

• (Hà Nội) IPA^(key): [maː˧˧ nɨ˦ˀ˥]
• (Huế) IPA^(key): [maː˧˧ nɨ˧˨]
• (Hồ Chí Minh City) IPA^(key): [maː˧˧ nɨ˨˩˦]

Noun

(classifier con) ma nữ

1. (fiction) the ghost of a dead girl or woman