trưởng họ
Definition
- Noun:
- Clan patriarch / Family lineage head: The person who holds the highest position of authority and respect within a clan or extended family lineage, typically the eldest male descendant of the founding ancestor. This role involves presiding over rituals, maintaining genealogical records, and representing the clan.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- Mọi việc quan trọng của dòng họ đều phải bàn với trưởng họ. (All important matters of the clan must be discussed with the clan patriarch.)
- Ông ấy là trưởng họ đời thứ năm của họ Nguyễn làng này. (He is the fifth-generation family lineage head of the Nguyen clan in this village.)
- Ngày giỗ tổ, trưởng họ sẽ đọc văn tế. (On the ancestral death anniversary, the clan head will read the eulogy.)
Advanced Usage
- The role of trưởng họ is deeply rooted in Confucian family structure and Vietnamese tradition. The position is often hereditary, passing to the eldest son of the main branch of the family.
- In modern contexts, especially overseas, the role may be more symbolic or ceremonial, focusing on cultural preservation and family unity rather than administrative authority.
Variants and Related Words
- Trưởng tộc (n): A synonym for trưởng họ, meaning clan or lineage head.
- Tộc trưởng (n): Another term with the same meaning, literally "clan chief."
- Gia trưởng (n): Patriarch, specifically of a nuclear household. This term can have a narrower (immediate family) or more general meaning than trưởng họ.
Synonyms
- Clan head
- Lineage elder
- Patriarch (of a clan)
Related Concepts
- Họ (n): Clan, family name, lineage. The extended family group sharing a common surname and ancestor.
- Từ đường (n): Clan ancestral house, where rituals are performed and where the trưởng họ often plays a key role.
- Gia phả (n): Family genealogy register, traditionally kept and updated under the supervision of the trưởng họ.