bào tộc
Definition
- Noun:
- Phratry: An anthropological and sociological term for a social division within a tribe or clan, consisting of several related lineages or clans that consider themselves a distinct kinship unit. It is a level of social organization larger than a family or lineage but smaller than a tribe.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- Các nhà nhân chủng học nghiên cứu cấu trúc bào tộc trong xã hội cổ đại. (Anthropologists study the structure of the phratry in ancient societies.)
- Bào tộc đó bao gồm ba dòng họ có chung tổ tiên huyền thoại. (That phratry consists of three clans sharing a common mythical ancestor.)
Advanced Usage
- The term "bào tộc" is highly specialized and is primarily used in academic contexts such as anthropology, ethnology, and historical studies. It is rarely encountered in everyday modern Vietnamese.
Variants and Related Words
- Thị tộc (n): Clan, gens. A social unit based on actual or presumed descent from a common ancestor.
- Bộ lạc (n): Tribe. A larger social group comprising multiple clans or phratries.
- Dòng họ (n): Lineage, family line.
Synonyms
- Kinship group: A general term for social units based on family relationships.
- Social division: A segment within a larger tribal structure.
Notes on Usage
- "Bào tộc" is a technical loanword from Chinese (胞族), corresponding to the anthropological concept of a "phratry." Its usage is almost exclusively formal and academic. In contemporary Vietnamese, more common terms like "dòng họ" (lineage) or "họ hàng" (relatives) are used for discussing family and kinship in non-specialist contexts.