lăn đường
Definition
- Verb:
- To roll/compact a road: The primary meaning refers to the action of using a heavy roller or compactor to flatten and solidify the surface of a road during construction or repair.
- To prostrate oneself in the road (archaic): A traditional, now largely obsolete, ritual where a woman would lie down in the path of her parent's or husband's funeral procession as it left the house, to express profound grief and mourning.
Usage Examples
- Verb:
- Công nhân đang lăn đường để chuẩn bị thảm nhựa. (The workers are compacting the road to prepare for the asphalt layer.)
- Theo tục lệ xưa, người con dâu phải lăn đường khi quan tài cha chồng được khiêng đi. (According to old customs, the daughter-in-law had to prostrate herself in the road when her father-in-law's coffin was carried away.)
Advanced Usage
- The term is highly specific. The first meaning is technical and related to civil engineering. The second meaning is socio-cultural and historical, describing a specific funeral practice.
Variants and Related Words
- Lu lăn đường (n): road roller, the heavy machinery used for compacting.
- Lu lăn đường là thiết bị không thể thiếu trong thi công. (The road roller is indispensable equipment in construction.)
Synonyms
- Compact: to compress or pack a surface down (for the first meaning).
- Prostrate: to lie flat on the ground, especially in submission or grief (for the second meaning).
Notes on Usage
- In modern contexts, "lăn đường" is almost exclusively used for its technical meaning related to road construction. The ritualistic meaning is considered archaic and is only encountered in historical or cultural discussions.