võ cử

Một võ cử đang luyện tập với kiếm trong sân võ đường.

Definition

1. Noun:

   • Military examination: In historical contexts, "võ cử" refers to the competitive examinations held in feudal Vietnam (and other Sinosphere countries like China) to select and appoint military officers, officials, and scholars for the state's military apparatus. It was the martial counterpart to the civil service examinations ("khoa cử" or "thi hương").

2. Noun (extended meaning):

   • Military degree holder: By extension, "võ cử" can refer to a person who has successfully passed these military examinations and earned a degree or title, such as a "licentiate in military arts."

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Dưới thời nhà Nguyễn, các kỳ thi võ cử được tổ chức để tuyển chọn tướng tài. (During the Nguyễn dynasty, military examinations were held to select talented generals.)
  • Ông tổ của dòng họ tôi từng đỗ võ cử. (My family's ancestor once passed the military examinations.)

Advanced Usage

• The term is primarily used in historical, academic, or literary discussions about Vietnam's feudal administration and education system.
• It is often contrasted with "văn cử" or "khoa cử", which pertain to civil service literary examinations.

Variants and Related Words

• Võ khoa (n): The military examination department or discipline; a synonym for the system of military exams.

  • Ông ấy nghiên cứu về chế độ võ khoa thời Lê. (He researches the military examination system of the Lê period.)

• Võ tiến sĩ (n): A specific high-level degree obtained through advanced military examinations, akin to a "military doctorate."

  • Vị tướng đó là một võ tiến sĩ nổi tiếng. (That general was a famous holder of a military doctorate.)

Synonyms

• Military examinations: The system or event of testing martial skills and knowledge.
• Martial laureate: A person who achieved success in these exams (less common).

Related Idioms

• While there is no direct idiom with "võ cử," the concept is part of the historical idiom "văn võ song toàn" (to be well-versed in both literary and martial arts), which describes the ideal scholar-official.
  • Vị quan đó được ca ngợi là văn võ song toàn. (That mandarin was praised for being accomplished in both civil and military arts.)