Definition

1. Noun:
   • The lowest social class; the poorest and most destitute people in a feudal or hierarchical society. This term historically refers to individuals at the very bottom of the social ladder, often landless, without resources, and with minimal rights.
   • A destitute person; a pauper. Used to describe a person in a state of extreme poverty and social marginalization.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Trong xã hội phong kiến, cùng đinh chịu nhiều áp bức. (In feudal society, the lowest class suffered much oppression.)
  • Ông ấy từ một cùng đinh trở thành một thương gia. (He went from being a destitute person to becoming a merchant.)

Advanced Usage

• The term "cùng đinh" is primarily historical and literary. It evokes the rigid class structure of pre-modern Vietnam and is often used to discuss historical social issues or to make a strong metaphorical point about modern poverty and inequality.

Variants and Related Words

• Kẻ cùng đinh (n): a destitute wretch; a pauper. This phrase emphasizes the individual.
  • Không ai quan tâm đến số phận của kẻ cùng đinh. (No one cared about the fate of the pauper.)

Synonyms

• Pauper: a very poor person.
• The destitute: people without the basic necessities of life.
• The lowest stratum: the bottom social class.
• The underclass: a group of people with the lowest social status.

Related Idioms

• Bần cùng (adj): impoverished, destitute. While not an idiom with "cùng đinh", this is a closely related term describing the state of being.
  • Cuộc sống bần cùng khiến họ không có lối thoát. (A destitute life gave them no way out.)