The program's answer was "Looking up at the roof's rafters, the number of rafters reminds me of my grandparents."
In the commentary section, the program's advisor, a PhD holder, remarked: "It must be admitted that this part is a bit difficult. For example, the use of the folk verse 'Looking up at the roof's thatched roof, the more thatched roof, the more I remember my ancestors...' This uses a principle from the South. Therefore, the term 'knot' is also called 'nuoc lat.' Because in the past, we often roofed houses with thatch or coconut leaves, so we had to tie them with thatch, and we tied many knots of thatch, meaning the merits of our ancestors and grandparents are boundless."
The above lecture by the university doctor contains two fundamental errors.
1. "Nuộc" does not mean "knot"
What is a "button"?
A knot is the point where two ends of a rope are tied together, or the constriction point of a section of rope. With soft ropes, the knot is made by threading the two ends diagonally across each other and tying them together (usually a double knot is necessary for a secure knot). With elastic ropes, the knot is made by twisting the point where the two ends meet. If twisted thoroughly and repeatedly, it forms a spiral, which is popularly called a "dove's droppings" (resembling the droppings of doves, which dry and twist from eating seeds).
So what is a "tie"? A "tie" is a loop of string used to tie a knot. Tying one loop of string creates a "tie," and tying it again before twisting it creates two "ties."
- The Đại Nam Quốc Âm Tự Vị dictionary explains: “Nuộc (Vietnamese vernacular) = One knot of string tied together, a circle. Nuộc lạt = a string tied together; One knot of string, one bowl of rice. Labor is expensive (high cost - HTC). Nuộc mây = A winding circle of cloud.”
- The Vietnamese Dictionary (Association for the Advancement of Knowledge and Virtue) explains: “nuộc • A loop of string <> How many knots are tied. Text: One knot of string is one bowl of rice (T-ng)”.
-Vietnamese Dictionary (Hoang Phe – Vietlex): “nuoc • I d. a loop of string tied to an object. “Looking up at the ropes binding the roof, the more ropes binding, the more I miss my grandmother.” (Folk song).
2. "Nuoc" is not a "Southern principle"
The comment by the university professor, "This uses the principle of the South. Therefore, the term 'knot' is also called 'tie knot'," is incorrect. There are several reasons to refute this:
- As analyzed and proven in section 1, "nuộc" does not mean "knot," therefore, there is no such thing as "knot" being a Northern dialect word while "nuộc" is pronounced according to the "Southern dialect principle."
- Vietnamese dictionaries published in both regions (before 1945 and after 1975) record "nuộc," and in practice, this word is used in both the North and South.
- Assuming "nút" and "nuộc" are synonymous, then according to the "Southern dialect principle," the word "nút" is pronounced "núc," not "nuộc."
Conclusion: “Nuộc” refers to the loop of the rope used for tying; “nút” refers to the connecting point or knot of the loop. After the roof is finished, no one can see the “knot” anymore, because it is on the roof and is covered by the layers of reeds. What people see when they “look up” can only be the “nuộc”. Moreover, a single reed rope can be threaded in many loops, thus creating many knots, while there is only one knot. Therefore, the saying “Looking up at the reed ropes on the roof, the more reed ropes there are, the more I love my grandmother” accurately reflects reality and deeply expresses the grandson's affection for his grandmother (*). The understanding of “that word knot is also called reed knot” by Dr. DH is completely wrong, and even more wrong to assume that the “principle of the South” is to pronounce “nút” as “nuộc”.
Hoang Tuan Cong (Contributor)
(*) The correct version of the folk verse is "Looking up at the thatched roof/ The more thatched roofs there are, the more I miss my grandmother." Note that it's "grandmother" and not "grandparents." This is because the verse is in the lục bát (six-eight) poetic form; using the words "grandparents" would make the following line nine. Furthermore, the verse expresses specific feelings of affection and remembrance for a "grandmother," not "grandparents" in the general sense of ancestors.
Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/nuoc-lat-va-nut-lat-248188.htm
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