kì mục
Definitions
- Noun:
- Village elders, village notables: In traditional Vietnamese society, "kì mục" refers to the respected, elderly men who held leadership and advisory roles in a village (làng, xã). They were often part of the village council, responsible for customs, rituals, dispute resolution, and local governance.
- Historical/Archaic term: The term is primarily used in historical or literary contexts to describe the traditional social structure of Vietnamese villages before modern administrative systems.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- Các kì mục trong làng họp bàn việc làng. (The village elders met to discuss communal affairs.)
- Theo lệ làng, mọi việc lớn đều phải được các kì mục đồng ý. (According to village customs, all important matters had to be approved by the village notables.)
Advanced Usage
- "Hội đồng kì mục": Council of Elders.
- Hội đồng kì mục có quyền quyết định nhiều vấn đề quan trọng. (The Council of Elders had the authority to decide many important issues.)
Variants and Related Words
- Lão làng (n): Village elder (a more common, less formal term).
- Hương chức (n): Village functionaries (a broader term for various traditional village officials, which could include "kì mục").
- Hội đồng già làng (n): Council of Village Elders (a descriptive modern term).
Synonyms
- Village elders: Người cao tuổi có uy tín trong làng.
- Notables: Nhân vật có địa vị, tiếng tăm.
- Patriarchs: Trưởng lão, người đứng đầu (trong ngữ cảnh gia tộc, cộng đồng).
Related Phrases
- "Tiếng nói của các kì mục": The voice of the village elders.
- Tiếng nói của các kì mục rất có trọng lượng. (The voice of the village elders carried great weight.)
Related Idioms
- "Kính lão đắc thọ": Respecting the elderly brings longevity (a proverb reflecting the cultural value associated with figures like "kì mục").
- Truyền thống "kính lão đắc thọ" thể hiện qua sự tôn trọng dành cho các kì mục. (The tradition of "respecting the elderly brings longevity" is shown through the respect given to village elders.)