Definition

1. Noun:
   • The base of a tree, especially a large, old tree trunk: "cội" refers to the lower part of a tree, including the trunk and roots, often implying age, stability, and deep roots.
   • Origin, source, or foundation: "cội" is used metaphorically to denote the origin, root, or fundamental basis of something, such as a family line, tradition, or idea.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Ngồi nghỉ dưới cội cây đa. (Sit and rest under the banyan tree's base.)
  • Anh ấy luôn nhớ về cội nguồn của mình. (He always remembers his origin/roots.)
  • Cội rễ của vấn đề nằm ở đây. (The root of the problem lies here.)

Advanced Usage

• "gốc cội": This is a compound phrase emphasizing deep roots and longstanding origin.

  • Gia đình ấy có gốc cội lâu đời ở vùng này. (That family has longstanding roots in this region.)

• "cây có cội, sông có nguồn": A proverb meaning "Trees have roots, rivers have sources," emphasizing that everything has an origin.

  • Nhớ câu "cây có cội, sông có nguồn", chúng ta phải biết ơn tổ tiên. (Remembering the proverb "trees have roots, rivers have sources," we must be grateful to our ancestors.)

Variants and Related Words

• Căn cội (n): A compound word meaning foundation, origin, or root cause.

  • Tìm hiểu căn cội của truyền thống. (Investigate the origin of the tradition.)

• Cội nguồn (n): A compound word meaning origin, source, or roots (often for lineage, culture).

  • Tìm về cội nguồn văn hóa. (Return to the cultural origins.)

• Gốc (n): A close synonym meaning root, base, or origin. "Gốc" is often more general, while "cội" can imply a larger, more solid base.

  • Gốc cây (tree root/base), nguồn gốc (origin).

Synonyms

• Nguồn gốc: Origin, source.
• Gốc rễ: Root, foundation (often used metaphorically).
• Khởi nguyên: Beginning, origin (more formal/literary).

Related Idioms

• "Chim có tổ, người có tông": Similar to "cây có cội," meaning "Birds have nests, people have ancestry," stressing the importance of knowing one's lineage.
• "Uống nước nhớ nguồn": "When drinking water, remember its source," an idiom about gratitude towards one's origins and benefactors. While it uses "nguồn" (source), it shares the same conceptual field as "cội."

noun

1. Root; origin