tuần phiên

Definition
  1. Noun (Historical):
    • Village guard / Watchman: A man, typically from a poor peasant background, whose duty was to guard and maintain order in a village during the French colonial period in Vietnam.
Usage Examples
  • Noun:
    • Ông nội tôi từng làm tuần phiên trước năm 1945. (My grandfather used to be a village guard before 1945.)
    • Công việc của một tuần phiên là canh gác đêm ở đình làng. (The job of a watchman was to keep night watch at the village communal house.)
Advanced Usage
  • The term "tuần phiên" is specific to the historical context of the French administration in Vietnam (circa late 19th to mid-20th century). It describes a local, low-level enforcer of village order, often with connotations of the role being filled by the impoverished.
Variants and Related Words
  • Tuần đinh (n): A nearly synonymous historical term for a village guard or watchman.
  • Lính tuần (n): A more general term for patrol soldiers or guards.
  • Canh gác (v): to guard, to keep watch.
Synonyms
  • Watchman
  • Village guard
  • Sentinel (in a specific, local context)
Related Idioms
  • Chạy tuần: to be on patrol duty.
    • Những tuần phiên phải chạy tuần quanh làng mỗi đêm. (The watchmen had to patrol around the village every night.)

Proverbs and Idioms