Content and Structure of the Dictionary
 

A. Audience and Characteristics
 

The Nguyễn Trãi Quốc Âm Dictionary has been compiled to serve all readers interested in learning about the Vietnamese language, as well as Vietnamese literature and culture, through Quốc Âm Thi Tập by Nguyễn Trãi. Whether young or old, local or foreign, everyone can find in this work specific and detailed knowledge about each morpheme in the Vietnamese vocabulary of the late 14th and early 15th centuries. Learning a single word means gaining a deeper understanding of a part of Vietnamese culture.

This dictionary will take the form of a comprehensive reference work (covering linguistics, archaic words, classical allusions, scripts, etymology, frequency, literary appreciation, place names, historical figures, etc.). Among its features, the application of achievements in Vietnamese etymology will stand out as a key contribution of this work. Each morpheme is not only revealed in its phonological and semantic state as it existed in 15th-century Old Vietnamese, but its origin and historical development are also explored. The history of each word contributes to the history of the language itself.

B. Macrostructure
 1. Headword Units
 1.1. This dictionary collects linguistic elements used in Quốc Âm Thi Tập. Specifically, it includes:

• All vocabulary elements
   
• Morphemes
   
• Idioms and proverbs
   
• Literary allusions
   
• Archaic words (including ancient and historical terms)
   
• Names of historical figures
   
• Place names
   
• Modal logical operators, such as chăng… thì chớ, etc.
   
• Indigenous Southeast Asian syllabic forms and Sino-Vietnamese forms capable of word formation (especially those that generate newly coined Sino-Vietnamese words).
  
   

1.2. Representation of headwords:

• Homonyms that are coincidentally identical in form are presented as separate headwords, with sequential numbering.
  
   
• Homonyms with a shared etymological origin are distinguished using the markers ①, ②.
  
   

2. Order of Headwords
 2.1. Headwords are arranged alphabetically in the following order: A, Ă, Â, B, C, D, Đ, E, Ê, F, G, H, I, K, L, M, N, O, Ô, Ơ, P, Q, R, S, T, U, Ư, V, X, Y, Z, and according to the order of tonal diacritics: không dấu, huyền, hỏi, ngã, sắc, nặng.
 2.2. Priority is given in order from headwords with fewer letters to those with more (ascending), and from headwords with fewer syllables to those with more (ascending).

3. Orthography
 The orthography in this dictionary is based on Decision No. 240/QĐ dated March 5, 1984, issued by the Minister of Education, accompanied by the Regulations on Vietnamese Orthography and Terminology.

However, in certain cases, due to the particularities of the historical phonology of Vietnamese, we have incorporated elements of the archaic orthography of Rhodes (1651). For some cases of Latin orthography used to represent reconstructed phonological forms of Vietnamese from the 12th to 15th centuries, we have established our own conventions. For example, in the Quốc Âm Thi Tập transcription, the modern Vietnamese orthography for trời will be used, but in the main entry of the dictionary, its reconstructed form will be pləj², represented orthographically as a disyllabic (or near-disyllabic) form pờ-lời (see Dương 2012c, 2013a, 2013b).

C. Microstructure

1. Structure of a Headword Entry
 1.1. Each entry is organized as follows:

• Research section (marked by ◎ right after the headword), including: the original pronunciation of the headword (e.g., Pre-Sino-Vietnamese, Sino-Vietnamese, or Post-Sino-Vietnamese readings), fanqie readings from Chinese rhyme dictionaries, or reconstructed pronunciations for Old or Middle Chinese forms. It also covers etymology, morphological analysis of original forms, phonological evolution, phonetic correspondences, dialectal equivalents, reconstructed forms, cognates, Nôm characters (with notes on informal forms, structure, phonetic components; incorrectly written characters are marked with “sic”), and variant transcriptions (where no consensus exists).
  
   

Please note: This section is unprecedented in dictionary microstructure theory, but we include it experimentally in response to user needs.

1.2. Basic meaning—the primary sense is presented first.

1.3. Derived meanings, arranged by semantic relation.

1.4. Concrete meaning precedes abstract and figurative meanings.

1.5. In cases of functional shift (e.g., change in part of speech), meanings are listed separately.

1.6. The meanings of polysemous entries are numbered ①, ②, etc.

2. Components of a Headword Entry

• The headword appears first, in bold. Capitalization is reserved for place names and personal names; for official titles, only the initial letter is capitalized.
   
• The Chinese character (for Sino-Vietnamese words).
   
• Sino-Vietnamese reading or a dialectal Chinese pronunciation that may represent the source form; fanqie reading, reconstructed ancient form; Chinese and Nôm characters representing these forms (with images quoted from Dương Bá Cung’s 1868 woodblock edition). Etymology, possibly with context.
   
• Part of speech (see symbol key below, section 2).
   
• Notes on style, register, rhetorical nuance, etc.
   
• Explanation (may cite classical dictionaries for illustration).
   
• Chinese equivalents of the entry.
   
• Examples cited from Quốc Âm Thi Tập and related literary materials. Citations from Quốc Âm Thi Tập are referenced by poem title, poem number, and line number, formatted as: (title poemNo.lineNo).
  
  
   For example, (Mạn thuật 23.1) means the word appears in line 1 of poem 23 titled Mạn thuật.
   All citations are paired to aid comparison, clarification of meaning, and ease of reference.
   Example:
   bề ◎ Nôm: 皮
   ① archaic noun: a certain age range.
   Bề sáu mươi dư tám chín thu, Lưng gày da sảy tướng lù cù (Ngôn chí 15.1).
  
  
   
• Synonyms, antonyms, related words, cognates, and phonological/semantic correspondences.
  
   
• Additional notes, e.g., related to poetics or stylistics.
  
   

Example entry:

• Headword: always at the top of the entry, in bold, lowercase (except personal or place names).
  
   

cơ 機 ◎ ahv: ki, kê
 noun, archaic: stratagem, scheme in cơ mưu (cơ = mưu), aligned with the word toan.
 Thua được toan chi cơ Hán Sở, Nên chăng đành lẽ kiện Thương Chu (Thuật hứng 58.3).

• Chinese character: for Sino-Vietnamese words, which make up a significant part of Nguyễn Trãi’s lexicon.
  
   

 Definition of Sino-Vietnamese words:

• From the orthographic criterion: words that can be written in square Chinese characters, the most visually recognizable criterion.
  
   
• From the phonological criterion: words borrowed and phonetically adapted from Chinese at any historical stage or dialect.
  
   
• From the semantic criterion: words that fully or partly borrow meaning from Chinese. When a borrowed form acquires a new meaning not found in Chinese, it is termed Hán Việt Việt dụng (Sino-Vietnamese with Vietnamese usage).
  
   

Sino-Vietnamese words may also include Hán Việt Việt tạo (Vietnamese-coined compounds of Chinese morphemes), which do not exist in Chinese, Korean, Japanese, or Classical Chinese lexicons, classified into five types:

1. {Sino-Vietnamese + Sino-Vietnamese} e.g. lỗi thác 纇錯
   
    
2. {Non-Sino-Vietnamese + Non-Sino-Vietnamese} e.g. buồng the 房紗 (> phòng the), buông tuồng 放縱 (> phóng túng)
   
    
3. {Non-Sino-Vietnamese + Sino-Vietnamese} e.g. bùa hổ 符虎
   
    
4. {Reconstructed + Sino-Vietnamese} e.g. cả hòa 嘏和
   
    
5. {Reconstructed + Non-Sino-Vietnamese} e.g. cả và 嘏和

Recording Chinese Characters for Sino-Vietnamese Headwords

Recording the Chinese character for each Sino-Vietnamese headword is a mandatory practice in Vietnamese dictionary work. This was thoroughly implemented in the system of early dictionaries compiled by Catholic missionaries and continued in dictionaries produced in the early 20th century. Since 1945, however, this practice has been largely neglected. More recently, the Vietnamese Dictionary by the Dictionary Center (Vietlex, 2008) reintroduced Chinese characters for headwords.

Nonetheless, most earlier scholars’ views on Sino-Vietnamese words tended to absolutize two criteria: the Sino-Vietnamese reading and the free morphemic function of the form. This has led to significant shortcomings: many genuine Sino-Vietnamese words (those with Pre-Sino-Vietnamese or Post-Sino-Vietnamese readings) were left without their original Chinese characters, causing many to mistakenly believe these were native Vietnamese words, when, in fact, such words are often the most significant and culturally meaningful Sino-Vietnamese terms. This omission has left the question of the total number of Sino-Vietnamese or Sino-origin words largely unresolved.

Types of Sino-Vietnamese Headwords Presented in this Dictionary

• Sino-origin headwords with standard Sino-Vietnamese readings
   The Chinese character appears immediately after the headword. The explanation breaks down each character element (especially if unfamiliar to those without Chinese knowledge).
   Example:
   đam 酖
   verb, archaic: to be addicted, deeply immersed.
   “Đam: fond of wine” (酖:樂酒) [Shuowen Jiezi].
   Thấy lợi thì làm cho phải nghĩa, Mựa tây mặt khiến lẫn lòng đam. (Bảo kính 173.8) ‖ (Giới sắc 190.1)
   Synonym: đắm.
  
   
• Sino-origin headwords with non-standard Sino-Vietnamese readings (Pre- or Post-Sino-Vietnamese)
   The entry includes the standard Sino-Vietnamese or fanqie reading and the original Chinese meaning (if it differs from the Vietnamese usage), with citations to show phonetic and semantic links.
   Example:
   cả 嘏 ◎
   Tangyun notes: "cổ nhã thiết" (古雅切);
   Jiyun, Yunhui, Zhengyun note: "cử hạ thiết, read as cả" (舉下切,𠀤音賈);
   Shuowen Jiezi: "嘏: great, distant" (嘏大遠也);
   Erya, Shi Gu: "cả: great" (嘏, 大也);
   Fangyan: "Anything large is called cả" (凡物壯大謂之嘏). [Huệ Thiên 2006: 376].
  
   
• Headwords mixing Chinese and native elements
   Chinese characters are included in the explanation section.
  
   
• Sino-origin headwords not fully following standard Sino-Vietnamese readings but structured in Vietnamese order
   Example:
   bùa hổ 符虎
   noun, Hán Việt Việt tạo: translated from 虎符. Bùa has a pre-Sino-Vietnamese reading.
   Bùa hổ refers to a tiger tally (a military token of command), symbolizing military authority or power.
   Đai lân bùa hổ lòng chăng ước, Bến trúc đường thông cảnh cực thanh. (Tức sự 123.6).
  
   
• Sino-Vietnamese compounds created by Vietnamese speakers (Hán Việt Việt tạo)
   Example:
   cân xưng 斤稱
   noun, Hán Việt Việt tạo, archaic: a balance or scale.
   Cân 斤: unit of weight; later also a verb meaning "to weigh."
   Xưng 稱: measuring tool.
   Cân xưng is also the root for cân xứng (balance, symmetry).
   Mực thước thế gian dầu có phải, Cân xưng thiên hạ lấy đâu tày. (Bảo kính 172.6, 188.1) ‖ cân xưng: to know the exact weight of something (CNNA 46a2).
  
   
• Nôm terms translate Chinese syllables
   Though not yet classified as Sino-origin words in linguistic terms, these can be considered Sino-origin elements in the context of language and cultural contact.
   Example:
   khó bền ◎ Nôm: 庫卞
   adj., Confucian: translation of 固窮 (endure hardship).
   Luận Ngữ (Analects): "When Confucius was in Chen and food ran out, his followers fell ill. Zi Lu asked, 'Do gentlemen also suffer hardship like this?' Confucius replied, 'A gentleman endures hardship with integrity; a petty man, in hardship, acts badly.'"
   Khó bền, mới phải người quân tử, Mình gắng, thì nên kẻ trượng phu. (Trần tình 43.5).
  
   

2. Part of Speech Labels
 Part of speech is indicated for both words and phrases, placed immediately after the headword or after the Chinese pronunciation if present. Based on Vietnamese Grammar (Vietnamese Social Science Committee, 1983):

• dt.: noun/noun phrase
   
• đgt.: verb/verb phrase
   
• tt.: adjective/adjective phrase
   
• đt.: pronoun/pronoun phrase
   
• pt..: particle/particle phrase
   
• kt..: conjunction/conjunction phrase
   
• trt.: auxiliary/auxiliary phrase
   
• c.: interjection/interjection phrase
   
• p.: adverb
  
   

3. Style, Usage, and Rhetoric Notes
 <Phật>: Buddhist
 <Nho>: Confucian
 <Đạo>: Taoist
 <Pháp>: Legalist
 <Mặc>: Mohist
 Khiêm: humble
 khng: colloquial
 Kính: honorific

4. Explanations

• Multiple definition styles are used; analytical definitions predominate, aiming for conciseness for simple entries.
  
   
• Archaic words are defined by modern synonyms/antonyms or residual forms.
  
   
• Rich-content entries (e.g., allusions, historical/cultural figures) are described in detail.
  
   
• Citations of others’ explanations include the author in brackets: e.g,. [Schuessler 2007: 234]. For multiple works in one year: [TT Dương 2012c: 12]. For secondhand citations: [After Ferlus, cited in Schneider 1987: 23].
  
   

5. Illustrative Examples
 Examples come primarily from Quốc Âm Thi Tập, Nôm works, proverbs, idioms, etc., in italics. Sources are given in parentheses in this order: (author – work – page or line number).

6. Cross-References

6.1. A sees B (A is a spelling or phonetic variant of B, or a misreading now common; no definition given, only recommendation).

6.2. A is also written/read as B (abbreviated as cn, cđ).

6.3. A = B means A is synonymous with B.