Definition

Noun: - (archaic) A female medium; a woman who conjures or summons the spirits of the dead. This term refers to a woman whose profession or practice involves communicating with or calling forth the souls of deceased persons. It is an archaic term in Vietnamese.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Trong một số câu chuyện xưa, bà rí được mời đến để giao tiếp với người đã khuất. (In some old stories, the female medium was invited to communicate with the deceased.)
  • "Cô rí" là một cách gọi cho người phụ nữ làm nghề gọi hồn. ("Cô rí" is a term for a woman who works as a spirit conjuror.)

Advanced Usage

• The term is used historically or in folkloric contexts. It is not commonly used in modern, everyday Vietnamese.
• It can appear in literature, historical texts, or discussions about traditional spiritual practices.

Variants and Related Words

• Đồng bóng / Thầy bói / Thầy cúng: These are more general or modern terms for spiritual practitioners, fortune-tellers, or ritual masters, which are not gender-specific and do not exclusively refer to conjuring the dead.
• Phù thủy: Witch or sorceress. This has a broader, often more negative, connotation involving magic or witchcraft, not specifically mediumship.

Synonyms

• Người gọi hồn: Spirit caller.
• Bà đồng: A female spirit medium (specifically in the context of Đạo Mẫu or Mother Goddess worship). This is a related but distinct role, often involving possession by deities rather than solely conjuring the dead.

Notes on Meaning

• This word has a single, specific meaning related to a historical spiritual role. It does not have other common meanings, phrasal verbs, or idioms in contemporary usage.

1. (từ cũ) Female conjurror of dead souls