viên ngoại

Vietnamese

Etymology

Sino-Vietnamese reading of 員外.

Pronunciation

• (Hà Nội) IPA^(key): [viən˧˧ ŋwaːj˧˨ʔ]
• (Huế) IPA^(key): [viəŋ˧˧ ŋwaːj˨˩ʔ]
• (Saigon) IPA^(key): [viəŋ˧˧ ŋwaːj˨˩˨] ~ [jiəŋ˧˧ ŋwaːj˨˩˨]

Noun

viên ngoại

1. (historical) ancient official title
2. (historical) hollow (i.e. honorific, ceremonial) title granted to wealthy notables
3. (historical) notable
   • 1820, Nguyễn Du (阮攸), Đoạn trường tân thanh (Truyện Kiều)‎^[1], published 1866, lines 11–12:

     固(Có)茹(nhà)員(viên)外(ngoại)户(họ)王(Vương)
     家(Gia)資(tư)擬(nghĩ)拱(cũng)常(thường)常(thường)堛(bậc)中(trung)

     There was a respectable townsman with surname Vương.
     Of modest wealth, he belonged to the middle class of society.