viên ngoại

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Vietnamese

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Etymology

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Sino-Vietnamese reading of 員外.

Pronunciation

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Noun

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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:
      ()(nhà)(viên)(ngoại)(họ)(Vương)
      (Gia)()(nghĩ)(cũng)(thường)(thường)(bậc)(trung)
      There was a respectable townsman with surname Vương.
      Of modest wealth, he belonged to the middle class of society.