xâu dịch
Definition
- 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.)