Definition

1. Noun:
   • The state; the country; the nation: A classical and literary term referring to the entirety of a nation, encompassing its land, people, and sovereignty. It conveys a sense of the enduring political and social entity.
   • The ancestral land; the homeland: Carries a profound, almost sacred connotation of the native land, inherited from ancestors and to be preserved for future generations. It implies the foundation of society and national stability.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Các vị vua có trách nhiệm giữ gìn xã tắc. (The kings had the responsibility of preserving the nation.)
  • Loạn lạc đe dọa sự bình yên của xã tắc. (Turmoil threatened the peace of the realm.)
  • Tình yêu xã tắc là một chủ đề lớn trong văn học cổ điển. (Love for the homeland is a major theme in classical literature.)

Advanced Usage

• The term "xã tắc" is primarily used in historical, literary, formal, or rhetorical contexts. It is rarely used in everyday modern conversation but appears in writings about history, tradition, and patriotism to evoke a sense of solemnity and historical continuity.
• It often appears in classical Sino-Vietnamese compound phrases, where "xã" refers to the earth/land god and "tắc" refers to the grain/god of harvests, symbolizing the fundamental pillars of the nation: territory and livelihood.

Variants and Related Words

• Giang sơn (n): A more common literary term for "country" or "land," often used poetically.
  • Giang sơn gấm vóc. (The beautiful, brocade-like land.)
• Tổ quốc (n): Fatherland; a modern and solemn term for one's country.
  • Bảo vệ Tổ quốc. (To defend the Fatherland.)
• Đất nước (n): Country; the most common and versatile modern term.
  • Đất nước Việt Nam. (The country of Vietnam.)

Synonyms

• Nation: A large body of people united by common descent, history, culture, or language, inhabiting a particular state or territory.
• Realm: A community or territory over which a sovereign rules.
• Homeland: One's native land.

Related Idioms and Classical Phrases

• An xã tắc: To bring peace and stability to the nation.
  • Công lao an xã tắc. (The merit of bringing peace to the realm.)
• Xã tắc nghiêng ngả: The nation is in peril; the state is unstable and on the brink of collapse.
  • Thời loạn, xã tắc nghiêng ngả. (In times of chaos, the nation is in peril.)

noun

1. land, state