English word origin

Etymology of dong

Borrowed from Vietnamese đồng, from Middle Chinese 銅 (duwng, “copper”), from Old Chinese 銅 (*doːŋ). Cognate with Mandarin 銅 /铜 (tóng, “copper”).

4 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗

In this entry · 4 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Source etymology 1

Original entry ↗

noun

The currency of Vietnam, 100 xus. Symbol: ₫ · The currency of South Vietnam, 100 xus. Symbol: Đ.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Borrowed from Vietnamese đồng, from Middle Chinese 銅 (duwng, “copper”), from Old Chinese 銅 (*doːŋ). Cognate with Mandarin 銅 /铜 (tóng, “copper”).

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Borrowed-form mentionđồngvi
Derivation mention銅och
Cognate mention銅cmn

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "vi",
        "3": "đồng"
      },
      "expansion": "Vietnamese đồng"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ltc",
        "3": "銅",
        "t": "copper"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle Chinese 銅 (duwng, “copper”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "och",
        "3": "銅"
      },
      "expansion": "Old Chinese 銅 (*doːŋ)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "cmn",
        "2": "銅",
        "3": "",
        "4": "copper"
      },
      "expansion": "Mandarin 銅 /铜 (tóng, “copper”)"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "đồng",
      "đồng#Vietnamese"
    ],
    [
      "銅",
      "銅#Middle_Chinese"
    ],
    [
      "銅",
      "銅#Old_Chinese"
    ],
    [
      "銅",
      "銅#Mandarin"
    ],
    [
      "铜",
      "铜#Mandarin"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "The currency of Vietnam, 100 xus. Symbol: ₫",
        "The currency of South Vietnam, 100 xus. Symbol: Đ."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "historical"
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Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗

noun

The penis. · A dildo, specifically a synthetic anatomical replica of the penis. · A fool.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Unknown. Perhaps suggested by dingus and other names for unnamable objects; perhaps suggesting of a sound of striking (perhaps the clapper of a bell; compare ding-dong); perhaps there is an element of donkey in it. First attested in the 1890s.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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    }
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    [
      "dingus",
      "dingus"
    ],
    [
      "striking",
      "striking"
    ],
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      "ding-dong",
      "ding-dong#English"
    ],
    [
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      "donkey"
    ]
  ],
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Source etymology 3

Original entry ↗

verb

To make a low-pitched, metallic ringing sound.

noun

A low-pitched, metallic ringing sound.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Onomatopoeic.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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Source etymology 4

Original entry ↗

noun

A submunicipal administrative unit of a city in North or South Korea.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From Korean 동(洞) (dong, “neighborhood”).

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Borrowed-form mention동(洞)ko · neighborhood

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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      },
      "expansion": "Korean 동(洞) (dong, “neighborhood”)"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "동(洞)",
      "동#Korean"
    ]
  ],
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Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for dong →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger

Machine-source provenance

Source SHA-256: 5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run: 73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID: w-ZG9uZw