Definition

1. Noun (Historical):
   • The common people / the populace: An archaic term used to refer to the general mass of ordinary people in a society, as distinct from the nobility, ruling class, or elite.
   • The plebeians: Denotes the lower social orders in a historical, often feudal, context.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Trong xã hội phong kiến, thứ dân thường phải chịu nhiều thiệt thòi. (In feudal society, the common people often suffered many disadvantages.)
  • Lệnh vua áp dụng cho tất cả mọi người, từ quý tộc đến thứ dân. (The king's decree applied to everyone, from the nobility to the plebeians.)

Advanced Usage

• The term is primarily found in historical texts, literature, or discussions about past social structures. It carries a formal and somewhat dated connotation.
• It can be used in modern contexts for rhetorical or poetic effect to evoke a sense of the past or to critique social hierarchies.

Variants and Related Words

• Bách tính (n): Another historical/literary term for "the hundred surnames," meaning the common people.
• Dân chúng (n): The masses, the public (more modern and neutral).
• Dân đen (n): A colloquial and sometimes pejorative term for the common folk.

Synonyms

• Commoners: People without noble rank or title.
• The populace: The ordinary people of a community or nation.
• The plebs (informal/historical): A shortening of "plebeians."

Related Idioms

• While there is no direct idiom with thứ dân, the concept relates to proverbs about social hierarchy, such as:
  • Phép vua thua lệ làng. (The king's law yields to village customs.) This highlights the tension between central authority and the practices of the common people.