thông sử
Definition
- Noun:
- General history: A comprehensive historical record or narrative that covers the major political, economic, military, and cultural developments of a nation or region from ancient to modern times. It presents a broad, overarching account rather than focusing on a specific period, event, or specialized topic.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- "Đại Việt sử ký toàn thư" và "Khâm định Việt sử thông giám cương mục" được coi là thông sử Việt Nam thời phong kiến. ("The Complete Annals of Đại Việt" and "The Imperially Ordered Annotated Text Completely Reflecting the History of Vietnam" are considered the general histories of Vietnam from the feudal period.)
- Các nhà nghiên cứu thường dựa vào thông sử để có cái nhìn tổng quát về tiến trình dân tộc. (Researchers often rely on general history to gain an overview of the national trajectory.)
Advanced Usage
- The term is used in academic and historiographical contexts to distinguish comprehensive national histories from more specialized works like biên niên sử (chronicles) or lịch sử chuyên ngành (specialized history, e.g., art history, economic history).
Variants and Related Words
- Lịch sử (n): History. The broader, more general term.
- Sử học (n): Historiography. The study of historical writing and methods.
- Toàn thư (n): Complete book/comprehensive annals. Often part of the title of a thông sử.
- Quốc sử (n): National history. A closely related concept, sometimes used interchangeably with thông sử.
Synonyms
- General history: A comprehensive historical account.
- Comprehensive history: History covering a wide scope.
- National history: The history of a nation.
Related Concepts
- Thông sử often implies an official or authoritative compilation, traditionally commissioned by ruling dynasties to document and legitimize their rule and the national narrative.