Thẻ rồng

Definition
  1. Noun:
    • Dragon clepsydra marker: A historical timekeeping device. Specifically, a marker or tally used with a "dragon clepsydra" (a water clock shaped like or engraved with a dragon). Water would drip from the dragon-shaped basin, and when the water level reached a specific marked line, a marker ("thẻ rồng") would be placed to count the elapsed periods ("khắc") of the day and night.
Usage Examples
  • Noun:
    • Trong chậu có khắc từng khoảnh, mỗi khi nước đổ lưng đến khoảnh nào thì bỏ một cái thẻ rồng để đếm khắc giờ. (Inside the basin were engraved marks; whenever the water level rose to a certain mark, a dragon clepsydra marker was dropped to count the time periods.)
    • "Thẻ rồng xuân điểm ngày thâu chìm chìm." (The dragon clepsydra marker of spring marks the long, fading day.)
Advanced Usage
  • The term is primarily found in classical Vietnamese poetry and texts describing ancient customs and technology. It evokes imagery of precise, poetic time measurement in a bygone era.
Variants and Related Words
  • Clepsydra (n): A water clock; the general device for measuring time by the flow of water.
  • Hồ nước (n): Water basin; part of the clepsydra apparatus.
  • Khắc (n): A traditional unit of time, approximately equal to 24 minutes.
Synonyms
  • Time marker
  • Clepsydra tally
  • Water clock token
Cultural and Historical Notes
  • "Thẻ rồng" is an archaic term reflecting ancient Vietnamese or East Asian timekeeping methods. The dragon motif signifies its importance and possibly imperial or ceremonial use. It symbolizes the meticulous measurement of time's passage in pre-modern society.