Definition

1. Noun (archaic):
   • A type of ceremonial fee or toll, specifically money that individuals from one village, who were part of a wedding procession to fetch the bride, had to give to members of the bride's village when the latter strung a rope or barrier across the path to block the procession's way.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Đoàn đón dâu phải chuẩn bị lan nhai để đi qua làng của cô gái. (The wedding procession had to prepare the ceremonial toll to pass through the bride's village.)
  • Tục lệ lan nhai nay đã không còn phổ biến. (The custom of the path-blocking fee is no longer common today.)

Advanced Usage

• The term is almost exclusively used in the context of describing historical or traditional Vietnamese wedding customs and village practices. It reflects a specific social interaction and negotiation between communities during a wedding.

Variants and Related Words

• Lộ phí (n): road toll, a modern term for a fee paid for passage.
• Tiền mừng (n): congratulatory money, a common gift in modern weddings.

Synonyms

• Ceremonial toll: A fee paid as part of a traditional rite.
• Passage fee: Money paid for the right to pass through.

Cultural Note

• "Lan nhai" is a culturally specific term from old Vietnamese tradition. It illustrates the playful yet formalized challenges and exchanges between villages during wedding ceremonies. The practice is largely obsolete in contemporary society.