sài lang

Vietnamese

Etymology

    Sino-Vietnamese word from 豺狼 (“dhole and wolf”)

    Pronunciation

    • (Hà Nội) IPA(key): [saːj˨˩ laːŋ˧˧]
    • (Huế) IPA(key): [ʂaːj˦˩ laːŋ˧˧] ~ [saːj˦˩ laːŋ˧˧]
    • (Saigon) IPA(key): [ʂaːj˨˩ laːŋ˧˧] ~ [saːj˨˩ laːŋ˧˧]

    Noun

    sài lang

    1. (archaic, literary) dhole and wolf; (figuratively) cruel, evil person
      • c. 300 BCE, Mencius; Vietnamese translation by Nguyễn Hiến Lê
        Chị dâu sắp chết đuối mà mình không đưa tay ra cứu vớt thì quả là loài sài lang rồi.
        When [a man]'s sister-in-law is about to drown yet he himself does not stretch out his hand to save her, he is indeed a dhole and a wolf.
      • 1945, Nguyễn Đình Thi, "Diệt phát xít (Destroy the Fascists)", performance by the Voice of Vietnam's Choir
        Việt Nam bao năm ròng rên xiết lầm than,
        Dưới ách quân tham tàn đế quốc sài lang.
        Vietnam has been groaning in suffering and misery for countess years straight
        Under the greedy, cruel, imperialist dholes and wolves’ yoke.
      • 20th century CE, Tú Mỡ
        Còn chưa hết thói dã man, người còn là giống sài lang với người
        While still not rid of their savageries, humans are still dholes and wolves to humans.
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