quảy đơm

quảy đơm

Một người phụ nữ quảy đơm lên bàn thờ tổ tiên.

Definition
  1. Verb:
    • To carry offerings on a pole: The primary meaning of "quảy đơm" refers to the specific action of transporting ritual offerings, typically food, by suspending them from the two ends of a carrying pole (đòn gánh) balanced on one's shoulder. This is traditionally associated with preparing for and traveling to a worship ceremony or ancestral rite.
Usage Examples
  • Verb:
    • Các con cháu quảy đơm về nhà thờ họ để cúng tổ tiên. (The descendants carried offerings on a pole to the clan church to worship their ancestors.)
    • Ngày xưa, mỗi dịp lễ Tết, thường quảy đơm đi chùa. (In the past, every Tet holiday, my grandmother would carry offerings on a pole to the pagoda.)
Advanced Usage
  • The term "quảy đơm" evokes a strong sense of tradition, familial duty, and rural or old-fashioned customs. It is less commonly used in modern urban contexts but remains understood as a culturally specific action.
Variants and Related Words
  • Đơm (n): Refers to the tray or set of offerings, often food, prepared for a ritual.
  • Quảy (v): To carry something suspended from a pole on the shoulder. "Quảy đơm" is a compound of this verb and the specific object.
  • Gánh (v): A more general synonym for "quảy," meaning to carry a load on a pole.
Synonyms
  • To carry ritual offerings: The general act of transporting items for worship.
  • To bear a pole load: The physical action, though this lacks the ritual connotation.
Notes on Usage
  • "Quảy đơm" is a fixed compound verb. It is considered quite specific and traditional. In everyday modern speech, people might describe the action more generically (e.g., "mang đồ cúng đi" - to take offerings).
  • The term inherently includes the method of transport (the pole) and the purpose (for a ceremony), making it a compact, culturally rich expression.