Definition

1. Noun:
   • Jade-inlaid sword: An ancient, ornate sword decorated with inlaid jade or other precious stones, symbolizing nobility, wealth, or high status in historical contexts.
   • Arch. épée (sertie de pierre précieuse): An archaic term for a sword (épée) set or inlaid with precious stones.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • "Giết nhau chẳng cái lưu cầu, Giết nhau bằng cái ưu sầu độc chưa." (Nguyễn Gia Thiều) ("Not to kill one another with jade-inlaid swords, but with cares and melancholy, oh how wicked!")
  • Thanh lưu cầu là bảo vật của vị tướng quân. (The jade-inlaid sword was the general's treasure.)

Advanced Usage

• This word is exclusively used in literary, poetic, or historical contexts to evoke classical imagery. It is considered an obsolete term (từ cũ) in modern Vietnamese.

Variants and Related Words

• Kiếm: (n) Sword. The general, modern term.
• Bảo kiếm: (n) Treasured sword; a sword of great value.
• Gươm: (n) Sword (often used interchangeably with "kiếm" but can imply a broader category of bladed weapons).

Synonyms

• Bảo kiếm: Treasured/precious sword.
• Kiếm ngọc: Jade sword (a descriptive, non-standard term).

Notes on Meaning

• The term lưu cầu carries a specific cultural and material meaning, referring not just to any sword, but to a luxurious artifact. Its use in poetry, as in the example by Nguyễn Gia Thiều, is often metaphorical, contrasting physical violence with the more profound, destructive power of sorrow and melancholy.

1. (từ cũ; nghĩa cũ) Jade-inlaid sword
   • "Giết nhau chẳng cái lưu cầu, Giết nhau bằng cái ưu sầu độc chưa " (Nguyễn Gia Thiều)
     Not to kill one another with jade inlaid swords, but with cares and melancholy, oh how wicked!