mắc cửi
Definition
Noun:
- A loom: A frame or machine used for weaving threads or yarns into fabric. This is the primary and most common meaning of "mắc cửi" in modern Vietnamese.
- The act or setup of weaving: Can refer to the state of having threads arranged on a loom for weaving.
Adjective (Archaic/Literary):
- Intricately interwoven, entangled: Describes something that is complexly intertwined or interconnected, like a dense network. This meaning is now rare and primarily found in classical literature or fixed expressions.
Usage Examples
Noun:
- Bà ngoại tôi ngồi bên khung mắc cửi để dệt vải. (My grandmother sits by the loom to weave fabric.)
- Sợi chỉ được lên mắc cửi rất cẩn thận. (The yarn is warped onto the loom very carefully.)
Adjective (Archaic):
- Mối quan hệ mắc cửi khó mà gỡ ra được. (The intricately entangled relationship is difficult to disentangle.)
Advanced Usage
- The word is often associated with traditional craft and imagery. In literature, "mắc cửi" can be used metaphorically to describe complex, interwoven situations, thoughts, or plots, drawing from its archaic adjectival sense.
Variants and Related Words
Dệt cửi (v): to weave (on a loom).
- Nghề dệt cửi truyền thống đang dần mai một. (The traditional craft of weaving on a loom is gradually fading.)
Khung cửi (n): another term for loom, specifically referring to the frame.
- Khung cửi dệt bằng gỗ. (A wooden weaving loom.)
Synonyms
- Loom: the device for weaving.
- Web (archaic/metaphorical): something intricately formed.
- Entangled (for the archaic sense): twisted together.
Related Idioms
- Mắc cửi tơ vò: An idiom describing a state of being deeply entangled, worried, or pensive, often about love or complex thoughts. It evokes the image of silkworms spinning a cocoon.
- Cô ấy ngồi mắc cửi tơ vò, nhớ người yêu phương xa. (She sat deeply preoccupied, missing her far-away lover.)