mỏ neo
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Vietnamese
[edit]Etymology
[edit]Considering the classifier mũi (literally “nose”) used for neo, the element mỏ (“beak”) here is probably a fossilized classifier. If so, mỏ (obsolete classifier for anchor) + neo (“anchor”).
Compare the element cửa (literally “door”) in cửa hàng, cửa hiệu, cửa tiệm, which also likely started as a classifier in these.