cựu thần
Definition
- Noun:
- A mandarin or high-ranking official of a former dynasty: This term refers to a senior government official or court minister who served a previous, now-overthrown or defunct, royal dynasty.
- A loyalist of a former regime: It carries a strong connotation of continued loyalty to the old dynasty, often after a new one has been established.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- Ông ấy là một cựu thần nhà Lê. (He was a loyal official of the Le dynasty.)
- Các cựu thần trung thành không chịu quy phục triều đại mới. (The loyal officials of the old regime refused to submit to the new dynasty.)
Advanced Usage
- The term is historical and literary, primarily used in contexts discussing Vietnamese feudal history, loyalty, and political transitions between dynasties.
- It often implies a moral or ethical stance, portraying the individual as upholding Confucian values of loyalty to one's sovereign, even after that sovereign's fall from power.
Variants and Related Words
- Cựu thần chống đối (n): a resisting loyalist; an official of the old dynasty who actively opposes the new regime.
Synonyms
- Loyalist: A person who remains loyal to the established ruler or government, especially in the face of a revolt.
- Mandarin: A historical term for a high-ranking bureaucrat or official in imperial China and Vietnam.
Related Idioms
- Làm tôi trung không thờ hai chúa: (To be a loyal servant who does not serve two masters.) This idiom encapsulates the principle often associated with a .