tùng xẻo

Definition

1. Verb (archaic, historical):
   • To execute by dismemberment / to inflict the punishment of dismemberment: Refers specifically to the ancient and brutal method of execution known as "lingchi" (death by a thousand cuts), where the condemned person is gradually cut into pieces.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Tên phản nghịch bị kết án tùng xẻo. (The rebel was sentenced to execution by dismemberment.)
  • Hình phạt tùng xẻo đã bị bãi bỏ từ lâu. (The punishment of dismemberment was abolished long ago.)

Advanced Usage

• The term is almost exclusively used in historical or literary contexts to describe a specific, extreme form of capital punishment from pre-modern judicial systems, particularly in East Asia.

Word Origin and Notes

• Etymology: The word "tùng xẻo" is the Vietnamese term for the Chinese punishment "凌遲" (língchí), often translated as "slow slicing" or "death by a thousand cuts."
• Note: This is an archaic term. Its use in modern language is typically limited to historical discussion, literature, or as a severe metaphor.

Synonyms

• To dismember (as a form of execution)
• To inflict lingchi
• To execute by slow slicing