đô lại
Definition
- Noun (Historical):
- A clerk or scribe working in a provincial administrative office in historical Vietnam. The term refers to a low-ranking official responsible for documentation and clerical duties within the traditional mandarin bureaucracy.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- Ông tổ của gia đình tôi từng làm đô lại dưới thời nhà Nguyễn. (My family's ancestor worked as a provincial clerk during the Nguyễn dynasty.)
- Công việc của một đô lại chủ yếu là ghi chép sổ sách. (The work of a clerk was primarily to keep records and ledgers.)
Advanced Usage
- The term is archaic and is primarily encountered in historical texts, literature, or discussions about Vietnam's feudal administrative system. It is not used in modern contexts to describe contemporary clerical jobs.
Variants and Related Words
- Lại mục (n): A category of low-level administrative functionaries, which includes positions like .
- Thư lại (n): Another historical term for a scribe or copyist.
Synonyms
- Clerk: A person employed to keep records or accounts.
- Scribe: A person who copies out documents.
- Administrative scribe: Specifically denotes the clerical role within an administrative body.
Notes on Usage
- Register: This is a formal, historical term. It carries a neutral connotation, describing a specific historical occupation without inherent positive or negative judgment.
- Modern Equivalent: In modern Vietnamese, terms like nhân viên văn phòng (office worker) or thư ký (secretary) would be used for similar clerical functions.