Definition

1. Noun:
   • Alchemy: The medieval practice and speculative philosophy primarily concerned with the transmutation of base metals into noble metals (like gold or silver) and the search for the elixir of life. In the Vietnamese context, "luyện đan" specifically refers to this historical European tradition.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Thuật luyện đan từng rất thịnh hành ở châu Âu thời Trung Cổ. (Alchemy was once very prevalent in medieval Europe.)
  • Các nhà luyện đan tin rằng có thể chế tạo ra vàng từ chì. (Alchemists believed they could create gold from lead.)

Advanced Usage

• "nhà luyện đan": alchemist.
  • Nhà luyện đan ấy đã dành cả đời để tìm kiếm Hòn đá Phù thủy. (That alchemist spent his entire life searching for the Philosopher's Stone.)

Variants and Related Words

• Thuật giả kim: This is a more modern and commonly used synonym for "alchemy" in Vietnamese, directly translating to "the art of pseudo-metallurgy."
  • Thuật giả kim là tiền thân của ngành hóa học hiện đại. (Alchemy is the precursor to modern chemistry.)

Synonyms

• Alchemy: (English equivalent)
• Thuật giả kim: (Modern Vietnamese synonym)

Notes on Meaning

• Historical Context: The word "luyện đan" is considered an older, literary term (từ cũ) specifically denoting the European medieval practice. It is not used for similar practices in other cultural traditions (e.g., Chinese alchemy).
• Specificity: The term focuses on the metallurgical and transformative goals of the practice, distinct from its later philosophical or spiritual aspects.

1. Alchemy