công tào

Ông quan ngồi trên kiệu có công tào đi theo hầu.

Definition

1. Noun (historical):
   • A low-ranking mandarin or petty official: In historical contexts, "công tào" refers to a minor government clerk or administrative subordinate in the traditional Vietnamese bureaucratic system.
   • An attendant or underling: It can also denote a servant or follower in the retinue of a higher-ranking official.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Ông ta chỉ là một công tào nhỏ trong phủ. (He was just a minor clerk in the governor's mansion.)
  • Viên quan lớn đi đâu cũng có đám công tào theo hầu. (Wherever the high-ranking mandarin went, he was followed by a group of attendants.)

Advanced Usage

• The term is archaic and is primarily encountered in historical texts, literature, or discussions about feudal Vietnam's administrative structure.

Variants and Related Words

• Thư lại (n): A scribe or clerk, often with similar low-ranking administrative duties.
• Bộ hạ (n): Subordinates; followers.

Synonyms

• Clerk: A person employed to keep records or accounts.
• Attendant: A person who serves or assists.
• Subordinate: A person under the authority or control of another.

Related Idioms

• No common modern idioms directly feature this word due to its archaic nature.