lang
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Adjective:
- Roan; piebald; dappled: Having a coat or skin marked with irregular patches of white and another color, typically used for animals.
- Mottled; spotted: Covered with spots or blotches of different colors.
Noun (archaic/regional):
- Noble (Muong ethnicity): A title for aristocracy among the Muong ethnic group in Vietnam.
- Wolf: An archaic or literary term for a wolf.
- Traditional doctor; healer: A short form of "thầy lang" (traditional medicine practitioner).
Adverb (archaic/colloquial):
- Away from home; stray: Acting or occurring away from one's proper or usual place, especially for sleeping or laying eggs.
Usage Examples
- Adjective:
- Con ngựa lang. (A roan horse.)
- Con bò lang. (A piebald cow.)
- Noun:
- Quan lang. (A Muong noble.)
- Lòng lang dạ thú. (The heart of a wolf and the guts of a beast - meaning cruel and treacherous.)
- Adverb:
- Gà đẻ lang. (A hen that lays eggs away from its nest.)
Advanced Usage
- "mặt lang": A dappled/spotty face. Often used descriptively or metaphorically.
- Cô ấy có khuôn mặt lang. (She has a lightly spotted face.)
- "thầy lang": A traditional doctor or healer.
- Người làng thường đến gặp thầy lang. (Villagers often go to see the traditional healer.)
Variants and Related Words
- Khoai lang (n): Sweet potato. (Note: In this compound, "lang" does not carry its core meanings.)
- Lang sói (n, archaic): Wolf; often used to symbolize cruelty.
- Lang bạt (v/phr): To wander; to live a vagabond life.
Synonyms
- Adjective: spotted, mottled, dappled, piebald.
- Noun (wolf): wolf, brute (in metaphorical sense).
- Noun (healer): herbalist, traditional doctor.
Related Idioms and Phrases
- Lòng lang dạ thú (or dạ sói): Literally "the heart of a wolf and the guts of a beast." An idiom describing someone who is extremely cruel, treacherous, and inhuman.
- Hắn ta có lòng lang dạ thú. (He has a heart of a wolf - meaning he is ruthless.)
- Chó lang: A spotted dog. (Often a simple descriptive term).
- Đi ngủ lang: To sleep away from home; to sleep somewhere one shouldn't.