Definition

1. Noun:

   • Crossbow: A historical weapon shaped like a bow, with a stock to hold and a trigger mechanism, used to shoot arrows or bolts. This is the primary and most common meaning.
   • Example: The soldiers in the ancient army were equipped with nỏ (crossbows).

2. Adjective:

   • Very dry; parched: Describes something that is extremely dry, brittle, and devoid of moisture.
   • Example: After days in the sun, the firewood became nỏ (parched).

3. Adverb (Dialectal, Northern Central Vietnam):

   • Not; not at all: A negative particle used in some regional dialects to mean "do not" or "does not."
   • Example: Tôi nỏ biết. (I don't know.)

Usage Examples

• As a Noun:

  • Anh Duy Vũ đang nghiên cứu cách chế tạo một cây nỏ cổ. (Anh Duy Vũ is researching how to make an ancient crossbow.)
  • Nỏ là vũ khí quan trọng trong lịch sử quân sự Việt Nam. (The crossbow was an important weapon in Vietnamese military history.)

• As an Adjective:

  • Trời nắng lâu ngày, đất trong vườn đã nỏ hết. (After a long sunny period, the soil in the garden has become completely parched.)
  • Những thanh củi nỏ rất dễ cháy. (Parched firewood is very easy to burn.)

• As an Adverb (Dialectal):

  • Nó nỏ muốn đi chơi. (He/She doesn't want to go out.)
  • Bà ấy nỏ nói tiếng Kinh. (She doesn't speak the Kinh language/Vietnamese.)

Advanced Usage

• "nỏ mồm" (Adjective, Dialectal): Talkative, speaking volubly or non-stop.
  • Đừng có nỏ mồm mãi thế! (Stop being so talkative!/Stop chattering like that!)

Variants and Related Words

• Cung nỏ: A compound term often used to refer to bows and crossbows in general, especially in historical contexts.
• Lẫy nỏ: The trigger mechanism of a crossbow.

Synonyms

• Noun (Weapon): Cung (bow). Note: "Cung" is a general bow, while "nỏ" specifically refers to a crossbow with a trigger mechanism.
• Adjective (Dry): Khô (dry), khô rang (crisp dry).
• Adverb (Not): Không (not), chẳng (not - literary/dialectal).

Notes on Usage

• The meaning of "nỏ" as a negative adverb (not) is specific to certain regional dialects, particularly in the Northern Central provinces of Vietnam (e.g., Nghệ An, Hà Tĩnh). In standard Vietnamese, "không" is used.
• When used as an adjective meaning "dry," it often implies an extreme, desirable state of dryness (e.g., for firewood) or a negative state of being parched (e.g., for soil).
• The noun form, referring to the crossbow, is a standard term used in historical and cultural discussions.

noun

1. arbalot; cross-bow