vú già

Bà vú già đang kể chuyện cho đứa trẻ nghe.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • Old wet nurse / Old nanny: A historical term referring to an elderly female servant, specifically one who served as a wet nurse or nanny to a child in a household, often remaining with the family for a long period.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Trong câu chuyện, vú già rất mực yêu thương và chăm sóc đứa trẻ. (In the story, the old nanny loved and cared for the child devotedly.)
  • Vú già của gia đình ấy đã phục vụ ba thế hệ. (That family's old wet nurse had served three generations.)

Advanced Usage

• The term is now considered archaic and evokes a historical or literary context, often found in classic Vietnamese literature or stories set in the past. It implies a deep, long-term, and familial bond between the servant and the household.

Variants and Related Words

• Vú em (n): A wet nurse or nanny (a more general, less archaic term).

  • Cô ấy thuê một vú em để chăm sóc trẻ sơ sinh. (She hired a wet nurse to care for the newborn.)

• Bảo mẫu (n): Nanny, governess (a formal term for a childcare servant).

  • Bảo mẫu dạy đứa trẻ những bài học đầu tiên. (The governess taught the child its first lessons.)

Synonyms

• Old nurse: An elderly woman employed to care for children.
• Wet nurse: A woman employed to breastfeed and care for another's child.
• Nanny: A person, typically a woman, employed to care for children in a household.

Notes on Usage

• The term "vú già" is outdated and not used in contemporary, everyday language. Its use today is primarily literary or historical. It carries connotations of the feudal or colonial eras in Vietnam.
• The word "vú" itself, meaning "breast" or "wet nurse," is central to the term, indicating the primary function was breastfeeding and infant care. "Già" means "old," signifying her age and long service.