Definition

1. Noun:
   • Thai ruling class: A term referring to the traditional ruling class or aristocracy within the ethnic Thai (Tay/Thai) society in the mountainous regions of Northern Vietnam in the past.
   • Feudal lord/noble (among the Thai people): Denotes the class of local lords, nobles, or mandarins who held administrative and judicial power in the former Thai feudal system.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Trong xã hội Thái cổ truyền, tầng lớp phìa tạo nắm giữ mọi quyền lực. (In traditional Thai society, the phìa tạo class held all the power.)
  • Chức vụ phìa tạo thường được cha truyền con nối. (The position of phìa tạo was often hereditary.)

Advanced Usage

• This term is now considered archaic or historical, as the social structure it describes no longer exists in its original form. It is primarily used in historical, anthropological, or cultural discussions about the ethnic Thai communities in Vietnam.
• It can be used to describe the entire class collectively or refer to an individual member of this class.

Variants and Related Words

• Phìa (n): A title for a local chief or head of a district (mường) in the Thai feudal hierarchy, often under a .
• Tạo (n): A high-ranking noble or lord, sometimes considered a higher rank than . The compound "phìa tạo" encompasses these ruling ranks.
• Quan lang (n): A term for hereditary nobles among some other ethnic groups in Vietnam (e.g., Mường), somewhat analogous in function.

Synonyms

• Giai cấp thống trị (n): ruling class (general term).
• Lãnh chúa (n): feudal lord (general historical term).
• Quý tộc (n): aristocracy, nobility (general term).

Notes on Meaning

• The term is specific to the ethnic Thai/Tay people of Vietnam, not to be confused with the modern nation of Thailand.
• It represents a specific feudal administrative and social structure unique to this ethnic group's history.

1. (từ cũ) Thai ruling class