nôm

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The Vietnamese word "nôm" refers to a specific type of poetry and writing system that was developed for the Vietnamese language using Chinese characters. Here’s an easy breakdown to help you understand it better:

Definition:

1. Noun: "Nôm" refers to a traditional form of Vietnamese poetry that is written in a style that uses Chinese characters to represent Vietnamese sounds and meanings. It is a part of the cultural and literary heritage of Vietnam.
2. Adjective: When used as an adjective, "nôm" describes something that is simple, straightforward, or prose-like, often in contrast to more complex literary forms.

Usage Instructions:

• "Nôm" is typically used in discussions about Vietnamese literature, culture, and historical writing systems. You may encounter it in contexts related to poetry, literature, or cultural studies.
• When describing a piece of writing or a poem, you can use "nôm" to indicate that it is accessible and easy to understand.

Examples:

• Noun: "Thơ nôm" means "Nôm poetry," which refers to poems written in the Nôm script. For example: "Thơ nôm của Hàn Thuyên rất nổi tiếng." (The Nôm poetry of Hàn Thuyên is very famous.)
• Adjective: "Câu văn nôm lắm" translates to "The sentence is very simple," indicating that the sentence is straightforward and easy to grasp.

Advanced Usage:

• In literature studies, "nôm" can be discussed in terms of its historical significance and its evolution over time. Scholars may analyze how "nôm" reflects the national consciousness of the Vietnamese people and its impact on Vietnamese identity.
• When comparing literary styles, one might say, "Thơ nôm thể hiện sự gần gũi với nhân dân," meaning "Nôm poetry reflects closeness to the people."

Word Variants:

• Nôm script: Refers to the system of writing that uses Chinese characters to transcribe Vietnamese.
• Quốc ngữ: This is the modern Vietnamese writing system that replaced Nôm in the 20th century. Understanding "nôm" also involves recognizing its historical context in relation to "quốc ngữ."

Different Meanings:

• While "nôm" primarily refers to the writing system and poetry, in everyday conversation, it may also describe something that is simple or easy to understand.

Synonyms:

• For the noun form, synonyms might include "thơ dân gian" (folk poetry) or "thơ truyền thống" (traditional poetry), although these may not convey the same specific historical context as "nôm."
• For the adjective form, synonyms include "đơn giản" (simple) or "dễ hiểu" (easy to understand).

Academic

noun

1. Chinese-transcribed Vietnamese
   • thơ nôm
     poetry in Chinese-transcribed Vietnamese

adj

1. Prose-like, simple, easy to understand
   • câu văn nôm lắm
     a very simple sentence
2. In opposition to the Chinese's Hán language, Nôm (slantingly pronounced from "Nam") language belonged to Việt ethnic group. It borrowed the Hán hieroglyphic scripts to transcribe the Vietnamese language. Nôm language might appear in the 8th century. The memorable poems in Nôm language belonged to Hàn Thuyên and Nguyễn Sĩ Cố (in the late 13th century) The birth of Nôm language not only marked the Việt people's mature national consciousness, but also brought a brilliant development to the Vietnamese literature between the late 18th and early 19th centuries. For complication and imperfection, Nôm language was replaced by quốc ngữ (national language)