Definition

1. Noun (Historical):
   • Corvée: A form of unpaid, compulsory labor demanded by a feudal lord or local authority, often for public works like road or dyke construction.
   • Tax in kind / Labor service: A tax or duty paid not with money, but with physical labor or goods, as a feudal obligation.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Dân làng phải đi làm xâu dịch mỗi tháng. (The villagers had to perform corvée labor every month.)
  • Chế độ xâu dịch đã bị bãi bỏ. (The corvée system was abolished.)
  • Thuế khóa và xâu dịch là gánh nặng của nông dân. (Taxes and corvée were burdens on the peasants.)

Advanced Usage

• The term "xâu dịch" is primarily used in historical contexts to describe feudal or colonial-era obligations in Vietnam. It is considered an archaic term in modern language.

Variants and Related Words

• Sưu dịch (n): A closely related historical term, often used interchangeably with "xâu dịch", referring to conscripted labor or corvée.
  • Thời phong kiến, sưu dịch rất nặng nề. (During the feudal era, conscripted labor was very heavy.)

Synonyms

• Corvée: Unpaid labor required by a state or lord.
• Conscripted labor: Labor forcibly enlisted.
• Forced labor: Work performed under coercion.
• Statute labor: Labor owed to the state for public works.

Related Idioms

• Chịu xâu chịu dịch: To bear the burden of corvée duties; idiomatically, to endure heavy, obligatory work.
  • Người nông dân xưa phải chịu xâu chịu dịch quanh năm. (Peasants of the past had to endure corvée duties all year round.)