tông tộc

Definition

1. Noun:
   • Clan; lineage; extended family: Refers to a large, traditional kinship group sharing a common ancestor, often with the same surname. It emphasizes blood relations and shared heritage over many generations.
   • Kinship; family relations: Denotes the collective body of relatives connected by blood within a patriarchal family system.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Anh ấy là trưởng tông tộc. (He is the head of the clan.)
  • Lễ hội này chỉ dành cho các thành viên trong tông tộc. (This festival is only for members of the lineage.)
  • Quan hệ tông tộc của họ rất phức tạp. (Their kinship relations are very complex.)

Advanced Usage

• The concept of "tông tộc" is deeply rooted in Confucian family structure and Vietnamese tradition. It often implies a hierarchical organization with a clan patriarch, ancestral worship rites, and mutual obligations among members.
• It can be used in historical or formal contexts to describe the social fabric of traditional society.

Variants and Related Words

• Dòng họ (n): lineage, family line. Often used interchangeably with "tông tộc," but may feel slightly more modern.

  • Dòng họ Nguyễn rất đông. (The Nguyễn lineage is very large.)

• Gia tộc (n): family clan. Emphasizes the family as an institution, including its rules and traditions.

  • Gia tộc ấy có truyền thống hiếu học. (That clan has a tradition of valuing education.)

Synonyms

• Clan: A group of close-knit families tracing descent from a common ancestor.
• Lineage: Direct descent from an ancestor; ancestry.
• Kinship group: A network of people related by blood or marriage.

Related Concepts

• Tổ tiên (n): ancestors. The revered forebears of a tông tộc.

  • Mọi người trong tông tộc đều thờ cúng tổ tiên chung. (Everyone in the clan worships common ancestors.)

• Phả hệ (n): genealogy, family tree. The documented record of a tông tộc.

  • Họ giữ gìn cuốn phả hệ của tông tộc rất cẩn thận. (They keep the clan's genealogy book very carefully.)