Hòn Vọng Phu

Vietnamese

Etymology

hòn (rock/stone/pebble classifier) + Chinese 望夫 (literally “to wait for the husband”), calque of Chinese 望夫石 (Vọng Phu Thạch, “Amah Rock”), from the myth about a woman who faithfully waited for her husband for so long that she became petrified.

Pronunciation

• (Hà Nội) IPA^(key): [hɔn˨˩ vawŋ͡m˧˨ʔ fu˧˧]
• (Huế) IPA^(key): [hɔŋ˦˩ vawŋ͡m˨˩ʔ fʊw˧˧] ~ [hɔŋ˦˩ vɔŋ˨˩ʔ fʊw˧˧]
• (Hồ Chí Minh City) IPA^(key): [hɔŋ˨˩ vawŋ͡m˨˩˨ fʊw˧˧] ~ [hɔŋ˨˩ jawŋ͡m˨˩˨ fʊw˧˧]

Proper noun

Hòn Vọng Phu

1. a rock in Lạng Sơn