Definition

Noun: 1. Origin, lineage, background: Refers to a person's family origin, ancestry, or the place and circumstances from which they come. It often implies a known and traceable background. 2. Whereabouts, traces: Refers to the current location or recent activities of a person, especially when they are being sought or are trying to remain hidden. (Note: This meaning is less common and often interchangeable with "tung tích" in modern usage).

Usage Examples

• Origin, lineage, background:
  • Không ai biết tông tích của người đàn ông bí ẩn ấy. (No one knows the origin of that mysterious man.)
  • Anh ta khai báo đầy đủ họ tên và tông tích với cảnh sát. (He fully declared his name and background to the police.)
• Whereabouts, traces:
  • Kẻ trộm đã để lộ tông tích tại hiện trường. (The thief left traces at the scene.)
  • Cảnh sát đang truy tìm tông tích của nghi phạm. (The police are searching for the whereabouts of the suspect.)

Advanced Usage

• Bị lộ tông tích: To have one's identity, origin, or whereabouts revealed or exposed.
  • Tên gián điệp bị lộ tông tích sau một cuộc điều tra kỹ lưỡng. (The spy had his cover blown after a thorough investigation.)
• Không rõ tông tích: Of unknown origin or background.
  • Một người đàn ông không rõ tông tích đã đến làng vào đêm qua. (A man of unknown origin arrived in the village last night.)

Variants and Related Words

• Tung tích (noun): Primarily means "whereabouts" or "traces." In contemporary Vietnamese, "tung tích" is more commonly used for the "whereabouts" meaning, while "tông tích" is stronger for "origin/lineage," though they can overlap.
• Lai lịch (noun): Background, personal history. Very similar to the first meaning of "tông tích."
• Nguồn gốc (noun): Origin, source. A more general term for the origin of anything (people, objects, ideas).
• Gốc gác (noun): Roots, ancestry. Emphasizes family or ancestral roots.

Synonyms

• For meaning 1 (Origin): Lai lịch, nguồn gốc, gốc gác, xuất thân (background, often social).
• For meaning 2 (Whereabouts): Tung tích, dấu vết (traces, evidence).

Related Phrases

• Hỏi tông tích: To inquire about someone's origin or background.
  • Mọi người trong làng đều hỏi tông tích của vị khách mới. (Everyone in the village inquired about the background of the new guest.)
• Khai báo tông tích: To declare/state one's origin or background (often to authorities).
  • Anh ta bị buộc phải khai báo tông tích rõ ràng. (He was forced to declare his background clearly.)

noun

1. origin