đích mẫu

Thân thiện

Trong gia đình phong kiến, con của bà vợ lẽ phải gọi vợ cả của cha là "đích mẫu".

Definition

Noun: - Legitimate mother: A formal and historical term referring specifically to one's father's principal or legitimate wife, in contrast to a biological mother or a concubine. The term emphasizes her official status within a traditional hierarchical family structure.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Trong gia đình phong kiến, đích mẫu có địa vị cao hơn thân mẫu. (In feudal families, the legitimate mother held a higher status than the biological mother.)
  • Dù là con của vợ lẽ, cậu ấy vẫn phải tôn trọng đích mẫu. (Even though he was the son of a concubine, he still had to respect the legitimate mother.)

Advanced Usage

• This term is largely archaic and is primarily encountered in historical texts, legal documents from pre-modern eras, or discussions of traditional Confucian family systems. Its use in contemporary Vietnamese is very rare.

Word Origin and Notes

• Origin: The term originates from Sino-Vietnamese vocabulary (Hán Việt). "Đích" (嫡) means "legitimate" or "principal," and "mẫu" (母) means "mother."
• Cultural Note: The concept underscores the importance of formal marital status and lineage in historical East Asian societies, where the children of concubines were legally considered children of the father's principal wife.

Synonyms

• Principal wife: The primary spouse in a polygamous marriage system.
• Legal mother: Emphasizes the mother recognized by law and custom.

Related Terms

• Kế mẫu (n): Stepmother.
• Thứ mẫu (n): A term for a father's secondary wife or concubine, particularly when acting in a maternal role.
• Từ mẫu (n): A kind, nurturing mother (a more general and affectionate term).

Học thuật

1. Legitimate mother (one's father legitimate wife)