tiết phụ
Definition
- Noun:
- A chaste widow; a woman who remains faithful to her deceased husband and does not remarry. This is an archaic, historical term referring to a virtuous widow who upholds the Confucian ideal of fidelity by not entering a second marriage after her husband's death.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- Trong xã hội phong kiến, những người phụ nữ được tôn vinh là tiết phụ thường được ghi vào sử sách. (In feudal society, women honored as chaste widows were often recorded in historical texts.)
- Tấm bia này ca ngợi đức hạnh của một tiết phụ trong làng. (This stele praises the virtue of a chaste widow in the village.)
Advanced Usage
- The concept of "tiết phụ" is deeply rooted in historical East Asian Confucian social structures, where a widow's chastity was often tied to family honor. The term is now considered outdated and reflects patriarchal values of a past era.
Variants and Related Words
- Tiết nghĩa (n): Fidelity and righteousness; often used in a broader context to describe loyalty and moral integrity, sometimes applied to widows.
- Liệt phụ (n): A virtuous woman; a term with a similar archaic connotation, often emphasizing heroic or exemplary virtue.
Synonyms
- Chaste widow: A widow who abstains from remarriage and sexual relations.
- Virtuous widow: A widow admired for her moral character and fidelity.
Related Concepts
- Tử tiết: To die preserving one's chastity; a more extreme concept where a widow would commit suicide following her husband's death, which was sometimes glorified in the same historical context.
- Thủ tiết: To keep one's chastity (as a widow); the act of remaining a chaste widow.