Definition

1. Noun:
   • Quadruped, four-legged animal: "Muông" refers to animals with four legs, typically wild beasts or non-domesticated animals.
   • Hound, hunting dog: In a more specific and limited context, "muông" can refer to a hound or a dog used for hunting.

Usage Examples

• Noun (Quadruped):

  • Rừng sâu có nhiều loài muông thú. (The deep forest has many kinds of wild animals.)
  • Tiếng muông hú trong đêm nghe rất ghê rợn. (The howling of beasts in the night sounds very eerie.)

• Noun (Hound):

  • Người thợ săn dẫn theo một con muông rất trung thành. (The hunter brought along a very loyal hound.)
  • Con muông ấy đánh hơi rất giỏi. (That hound has a very keen sense of smell.)

Advanced Usage Notes

• Limited Combination: The word "muông" is considered a "kết hợp hạn chế" (word with limited combination). This means it is rarely used alone in modern Vietnamese and is mostly found in fixed phrases or literary contexts.
• Compound "muông thú": The most common modern usage is in the compound "muông thú", which collectively means "wild animals" or "beasts".
  • Hãy bảo vệ muông thú trong rừng. (Please protect the wild animals in the forest.)

Variants and Related Words

• Thú (n): Animal, beast. Often paired with "muông" as "muông thú".
• Thú dữ (n): Wild beast, dangerous animal.
• Chó săn (n): Hunting dog. This is the more common, modern term for "hound".

Synonyms

• Thú vật: Animal (more general term).
• Dã thú: Wild beast.
• Súc vật: Domesticated animal, livestock (note: can be derogatory when applied to people).

Important Note on Usage

• Archaic/Literary: In contemporary Vietnamese, "muông" is largely archaic and poetic. Its primary survival is in the compound "muông thú". Using "muông" alone to mean "dog/hound" is very rare and would sound old-fashioned.
• Fixed Expressions: It appears in some fixed expressions or proverbs, e.g., relating to the wild or untamed nature.

1. (kết hợp hạn chế) Quadruped, animal
2. Hound