cai ngục
Definition
- Noun:
- Prison guard, jailer: A person who is responsible for guarding prisoners in a prison or jail. This term is now considered archaic in modern Vietnamese.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- Người cai ngục mở cửa phòng giam. (The prison guard opened the cell door.)
- Trong câu chuyện cổ, nhân vật cai ngục thường rất nghiêm khắc. (In old stories, the jailer character is often very strict.)
Advanced Usage
- This word is primarily found in historical contexts, literature, or when referring to older prison systems. In contemporary language, terms like "cai tù" or "công an trại giam" are more common.
Variants and Related Words
- Cai tù (n): A more modern term for a prison guard or warden.
- Quản ngục (n, literary): Prison warden; a slightly more formal or literary term.
- Lính canh ngục (n): Prison guard (emphasizing the guard duty).
Synonyms
- Geôlier (n, French loanword used historically): Jailer.
- Garde-chiourme (n, French loanword used historically): Prison guard, often with a connotation of a harsh overseer in a penal colony.
Related Phrases
- Kẻ giữ ngục: The keeper of the jail (a descriptive phrase with a similar meaning).