Definition

1. Noun:
   • Totem: An object, animal, or plant symbolically revered as the emblem or spiritual ancestor of a clan, family, or group, often forming the basis of a belief system.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Con gấu là vật tổ của bộ tộc này. (The bear is the totem of this tribe.)
  • Tín ngưỡng vật tổ phổ biến ở nhiều nền văn hóa. (Totemism is common in many cultures.)

Advanced Usage

• The concept is central to the study of anthropology and ethnology, describing systems of belief and social organization where kinship is traced to a symbolic non-human entity.

Variants and Related Words

• Vật tổ thị tộc (n): Clan totem.
• Tín ngưỡng vật tổ (n): Totemism (the belief system or practice centered around totems).

Synonyms

• Totem: Emblem, symbol, spiritual ancestor.

Related Concepts

• Totemism: The system of beliefs and practices associated with the veneration of totems.
• Animism: A broader belief system attributing souls to animals, plants, and other entities, which can intersect with totemic beliefs.