Definition

1. Noun (Historical):
   • Female Historian / Court Annalist: An official title for a woman, particularly in the ancient Zhou dynasty court, whose duty was to record events and affairs within the palace.
   • Learned Woman / Woman of Letters: An honorific term used in former times to respectfully address or refer to a woman of high scholarly attainment and literary culture.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Trong cung đình nhà Chu, chức vụ nữ sử rất được coi trọng. (In the Zhou dynasty court, the position of female court historian was highly respected.)
  • Bà được người đương thời kính trọng gọi là một nữ sử. (She was respectfully called a woman of letters by her contemporaries.)

Advanced Usage

• The term is primarily used in historical or literary contexts to evoke a classical or scholarly tradition. It is not used in modern contexts for contemporary professions.

Variants and Related Words

• Sử quan (n): Historian, annalist (generally male).
• Nữ học sĩ (n): A female academic or scholar; a more modern-sounding term for an educated woman.

Synonyms

• Female chronicler: A woman who records historical events in order.
• Woman scholar: A woman devoted to learning, especially in the humanities.

Related Idioms

• While there are no direct idioms with "nữ sử," the concept is related to classical ideals of scholarship and virtue, often found in phrases like:
  • Tài sắc vẹn toàn: Having both talent (e.g., scholarly) and beauty.

    • Vị nữ sử ấy nổi tiếng là một người tài sắc vẹn toàn. (That woman of letters was famous for possessing both talent and beauty.)