Definition

1. Noun:
   • Mourning headband: A white cloth band worn horizontally around the head as a sign of deep mourning or great mourning (đại tang) in traditional Vietnamese funeral rites.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Trong lễ tang truyền thống, con cháu thường quấn khăn ngang. (In traditional funerals, descendants often wear a mourning headband.)
  • Chiếc khăn ngang màu trắng tượng trưng cho sự thương tiếc. (The white mourning headband symbolizes grief.)

Advanced Usage

• Cultural Context: The "khăn ngang" is specifically associated with "đại tang" (great mourning), typically worn for parents or grandparents. It distinguishes the chief mourners.
  • Việc đeo khăn ngang là một phần quan trọng của nghi thức tang lễ xưa. (Wearing the mourning headband is an important part of old funeral rituals.)

Variants and Related Words

• Khăn tang (n): Mourning scarf/band. This is a more general term for mourning headgear, which can include the "khăn ngang" as a specific type.
• Khăn xô (n): A type of mourning head covering, often a piece of white gauze, which may be worn differently than the "khăn ngang".
• Đại tang (n): Great mourning; the formal mourning period for which the "khăn ngang" is worn.

Synonyms

• Băng tang (n): Mourning band (a more general term that can refer to armbands or headbands).
• Khăn trắng (n): White scarf (describes the color and material but not specifically its mourning function or horizontal style).

Notes on Meaning

• The term "khăn ngang" is highly specific. The word "ngang" (horizontal) directly describes the manner of wearing it—wrapped once horizontally around the head, unlike other styles of tying.
• It is a noun compound, but the core meaning resides in the combined form. The individual words "khăn" (scarf/cloth) and "ngang" (horizontal) do not convey the ceremonial meaning alone.

1. Mourning head-band