cống lễ
Definition
- Noun:
- Tribute; tribute offering: A formal payment, gift, or ceremonial offering made by one state, ruler, or people to another, typically a more powerful one, as a sign of submission, allegiance, or to secure peace. This is a historical and formal term.
- Tribute payment: The specific act of presenting such an offering, often part of a ritualized diplomatic or feudal relationship.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- Các nước chư hầu phải mang cống lễ đến kinh đô hàng năm. (Vassal states had to bring tribute to the capital annually.)
- Cống lễ bao gồm vàng bạc, lụa là, và ngựa quý. (The tribute included gold, silk, and prized horses.)
- Việc dâng cống lễ là một nghi thức ngoại giao quan trọng thời phong kiến. (Presenting tribute was an important diplomatic ritual in feudal times.)
Advanced Usage
- The term "cống lễ" is primarily used in historical, academic, or literary contexts to describe practices in feudal Vietnam or other ancient East Asian societies. It is not used in modern everyday situations.
Variants and Related Words
Cống nạp (n): Tribute; the act of offering tribute. Often used interchangeably with "cống lễ", though "cống nạp" can emphasize the compulsory aspect of the payment.
- Áp lực cống nạp nặng nề đè lên các nước nhỏ. (The heavy pressure of tribute weighed on smaller nations.)
Triều cống (v/n): To pay tribute; tribute. This verb-noun pair focuses on the action and system of paying tribute within a hierarchical order.
- Nước đó phải triều cống cho triều đình trung ương. (That country had to pay tribute to the central court.)
Synonyms
- Tribute: A payment made periodically by one state or ruler to another, acknowledging submission.
- Prestation: A formal, often ceremonial, payment or service rendered. (This is a more specialized, academic synonym.)
Related Concepts
- Chư hầu: Vassal; subordinate state. The entity that offers the "cống lễ".
- Thiên tử: The Son of Heaven; the Emperor. The typical recipient of the "cống lễ" in the Sinocentric world order.
- Ngoại giao cống phẩm: Tributary diplomacy. The system of international relations built around the exchange of tribute and gifts.