ma nữ

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Vietnamese

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Etymology

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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

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Noun

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(classifier con) ma nữ

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