đai cân
Definition
- Noun (Historical):
- Official belt and sash: Refers to the belt and sash that were part of the traditional formal attire of a Vietnamese mandarin or government official, serving as symbols of their rank and authority.
- The position of a mandarin / officialdom: By metonymy, the term refers to the status, career, or affairs of being a government official.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- Ông ấy đã khoác lên mình đai cân của một vị quan triều đình. (He donned the official belt and sash of a court mandarin.)
- Cuộc đời ông gắn liền với đai cân, từ thanh niên đến lúc về hưu. (His life was tied to officialdom, from youth until retirement.)
Advanced Usage
- The term is archaic and is primarily found in historical, literary, or formal contexts discussing Vietnam's feudal administrative system.
Variants and Related Words
- Cân đai (n): This is the more standard and commonly cited compound form, also meaning the official's belt and sash, or the mandarin's office.
- Cân đai là biểu tượng cho quyền lực của quan lại phong kiến. (The official regalia was a symbol of feudal mandarins' power.)
Synonyms
- Official regalia: The distinctive clothing and accessories of a person in authority.
- Mandarin's attire: The formal dress of a historical Vietnamese official.
- Officialdom: The sphere or status of being a government official.
Notes on Meaning
- The term đai cân is a historical word. Its core meaning is the physical belt and sash worn by officials. Its extended meaning, referring to the official position itself, is a figurative use based on the clothing representing the office. The reference dictionary note "đai cân (arch.) như cân đai" confirms it is an archaic form equivalent to the compound cân đai.