khao vọng

Definition
  1. Verb:
    • To host a feast for the villagers and pay a fee to the village council to formally recognize one's new rank or title: This is a historical term referring to a specific ceremony in traditional Vietnamese village society. Upon achieving a new academic degree, military rank, or official position, a person would hold a feast (khao) for the village and pay a ceremonial fee (vọng) to the communal house authorities. This act served to publicly announce and gain communal acceptance of their elevated status within the village hierarchy.
Usage Examples
  • Verb:
    • Sau khi đỗ cử nhân, ông ấy đã làm lễ khao vọng tại đình làng. (After passing the provincial exam, he held a khao vọng ceremony at the village communal house.)
    • Tục lệ khao vọng thể hiện sự gắn kết giữa cá nhân có thành tích với cộng đồng làng xã. (The custom of khao vọng demonstrated the bond between an accomplished individual and the village community.)
Advanced Usage
  • This term is almost exclusively used in historical, anthropological, or cultural contexts to describe a traditional practice that is largely obsolete in modern society.
  • It encapsulates a key aspect of the Confucian-influenced village social structure, where scholarly and official achievements were communal matters.
Variants and Related Words
  • Khao (v): to treat, to host a feast (a more general and still-used term).
    • Anh ấy khao cả lớp vì đã thi đỗ. (He treated the whole class because he passed the exam.)
  • Vọng (n, historical): a ceremonial fee or contribution paid to the village communal house.
Synonyms
  • Ăn mừng chức tước (v): to celebrate a new title/rank (a descriptive modern phrase, not a direct historical synonym).
  • Lễ công nhận chức vị (n): rank recognition ceremony (a descriptive term).
Notes on Meaning
  • The term is a compound of two distinct actions: (feasting) and (paying a fee). The ceremony was both a celebratory and a formal administrative act within the village.
  • It reflects a historical social contract where individual success was acknowledged and legitimized by the local community, not just the central government.