Rough Guide to Vietnam - Jan Dodd [399]
nuoc khoang mineral water
nuoc so da soda water
nuoc cam orange juice
nuoc chanh lime juice
nuoc dua coconut milk
ruou ran snake wine
ruou trang or choum rice alcohol
so da cam orange soda
so da chanh lime soda
sua milk
sua tuoi fresh milk
Glossaries
Glossaries |
Words and abbreviations
Agent Orange Defoliant herbicide used by the Americans during the American War to deprive guerrillas of forest cover.
Annam (“Pacified South”) A term coined by the Chinese to refer to their protectorate in northern Vietnam before 939 AD; the French later applied the name to the middle reaches of their protectorate, from the southern central highlands to the edge of the Red River Delta.
ao dai Traditional Vietnamese dress for women, comprising baggy pants and a long, slit tunic.
arhat Ascetic Buddhist saint, whose statues are found in northern pagodas.
ARVN (Army of the Republic of Vietnam) The army of South Vietnam.
ben xe Bus station.
bo doi Northern soldiers.
boat people Ethnic Chinese who fled Vietnam by boat in the late 1970s to escape persecution at the hands of the Communists and, later, Vietnamese escaping poverty (See "The “boat people”").
bodhisattva An intermediary who has chosen to forgo Buddhist nirvana to work for the salvation of all humanity.
body count Term coined by the Americans to measure the success of a military operation, determined by the number of dead bodies after a battle.
bonze Buddhist monk.
buu dien Post office.
Cao Dai Indigenous religion, essentially a hybrid of Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism, but hinged around an attempt at unification of all earthly codes of belief (See "Cao Dai").
Champa Indianized Hindu empire that held sway in much of the southern half of Vietnam until the late seventeenth century (See "The kingdom of Champa").
Charlie Nickname for the VC (“Vietnamese Communists”) used by American soldiers.
Cheo Form of classical theatre (See "Theatre").
cho Market.
chu nom Classic Vietnamese script, based upon Chinese.
chua Pagoda (Buddhist place of worship).
Cochinchina A Portuguese term adopted by the French colonial government for their southern administrative region.
colon French colonial expatriate.
com pho Literally, “rice noodles”, often used to indicate restaurant serving basic dishes.
cyclo Three-wheeled bicycle with a carriage on the front.
dao Island.
den Temple (Taoist or other non-Buddhist place of worship).
dinh Communal meeting hall.
DMZ (“dee-em-zee”) The Demilitarized Zone along the Seventeenth Parallel, marking the border between North and South Vietnam from 1954 to 1975.
doi moi Vietnam’s economic restructuring.
DRV (Democratic Republic of Vietnam) The North Vietnamese state established by Ho Chi Minh following the August Revolution in 1945.
duong Avenue.
FULRO (United Front for the Liberation of Oppressed Races) An opposition movement formed by the ethnic minorities of the central highlands, demanding greater autonomy.
Funan Indianized empire, a forerunner of the great Khmer empires.
GI (General Infantryman) Soldier in the US Army.
gopuram Bank of sculpted deities over the entrance to a Hindu temple.
“grunt” American infantryman.
gui xe Bicycle compound.
hang Cave.
ho Lake.
Ho Chi Minh Trail Trail used first by the Viet Minh and later by the North Vietnamese Army to transport supplies to the South, via Laos and Cambodia.
Hoa Ethnic Chinese people living in Vietnam.
Honda om Literally “Honda embrace” – a motorbike taxi.
“Huey” Nickname given to American helicopter, the HU-1.
Indochina The region of Asia comprising Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia.
kalan Sanctuary in a Cham tower.
khach san Hotel.
Khmer Ethnic Cambodian.
kylin Mythical, dew-drinking animal (often translated as unicorn); a harbinger of peace.
Lien Xo Translating as “Soviet Union”, this is also used as a term of abuse – and may very occasionally be hurled at foreigners in more remote regions.
lingam A phallic statue representing Shiva, often seen in Cham towers.
mandapa Meditation hall in Cham temple complex.
MIAs (Missing in Action) Soldiers