Definition

1. Noun (Historical):
   • Clerk: A minor official or scribe working in the administrative offices of a district-level mandarin (a "yamen") in historical Vietnam. The term refers to a low-ranking functionary responsible for clerical and documentation tasks within the traditional bureaucratic system.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Ông tổ của gia đình tôi từng làm lại mục ở huyện đường. (My family's ancestor once worked as a clerk in the district yamen.)
  • Công việc của lại mục chủ yếu là ghi chép sổ sách. (The work of a clerk was primarily to keep records and ledgers.)

Advanced Usage

• The term "lại mục" is archaic and is primarily found in historical texts or discussions about Vietnam's feudal administrative structure. It is not used in modern contexts to describe contemporary clerical jobs.

Variants and Related Words

• Lại dịch (n): Another historical term for minor officials or runners in the mandarin system, often involved in messenger or enforcement duties.
• Thư lại (n): A more general, and also somewhat historical, term for a scribe or copyist.

Synonyms

• Scribe: A person who copies out documents.
• Clerk: An office worker, especially one dealing with records or accounts.
• Functionary: A person who has to perform official functions or duties.

Notes on Usage

• "Lại mục" is a compound word. As per the instruction, it is treated here as a single, fixed lexical unit with a specific historical meaning. It should not be broken down and its components ("lại" and "mục") analyzed separately in this entry, as their individual meanings do not directly combine to form the defined term.

1. (cũ) Clerkk (in a district yamen)