Example = example = example?

When reading books or newspapers, we sometimes see the word "tỉ dụ" (example) appear in one text but "hỉ dụ" or "ví dụ" (example) in another. Do these words have different meanings?

First, let's analyze each word:

The character Tỉ (比) first appeared in the oracle bone script of the Shang Dynasty. Many researchers believe that Tỉ (比) resembles two people standing next to each other or two spoons placed side by side, since the character Chủy (匕) means "spoon". Some scholars speculate that Chủy (匕) is the original form of the character Tí (arm). Two Chủy (匕) characters placed side by side form Tỉ (比), meaning two arms placed side by side. Thus, regardless of the explanation, all viewpoints conclude that the original meaning of Tỉ is "side by side".

From there, the term "comparison " leads to the understanding of "near or parallel" (Book of Poetry, Zhou Dynasty) , then adds another meaning: "comparison" (Zhou Rites, Heavenly Officials, Internal Affairs) ; or expands to "example" (Book of Poetry, Beifeng, Beifeng) ; "comparison" and "reference" (based on existing)...

The character 譬(shí) is a phonetic pictographic character whose original meaning is " to make known , to make understood" (e.g., "to make known" or "to make known") . Later, it came to mean "to make known, to make understood" (e.g., Later Han Dynasty History) . This character is common in pre-Qin classical works, often used with the character "如" (rú), for example: " to make known as catching a deer " (e.g., catching a deer) - Zuo Commentary, Xiang Gong Fourteenth Year .

Now let's look at the word "ví ," a character meaning "like, if, suppose, even if."

Ví is not a Sino-Vietnamese word but a Nôm character with 3 ways of writing: 𠸠 (pure Nôm character); while 彼 and 啻 are borrowed from Chinese. Trần Tế Xương once wrote a Nôm poem as follows: " If (啻) the state lets him pass the exam, then how much money will he earn each month?" (Vị thành giai cú tập biên) .

Next is the character喻(yù), a character first known in the Seal Script in the Shuowen Jiezi , composed of two characters:口(kǒu: mouth) and俞(yù: a fleet of boats passing through a river pass). The meaning of喻is that any boat passing through a river pass must declare its presence and undergo inspection by the person in charge of the river pass. Therefore, the original meaning of喻is explanation or notification; later, its meaning expanded to include communication and understanding; while in this context, it means "example, metaphor, and comparison"...

Comparison (比喻), also known as example, comparison, or simile , is a rhetorical device based on the similarity between two things, where thing B is used to compare with thing A.

Currently, there are many forms of metaphor , such as simile (extended comparison); inverted simile (reversed comparison); illustrative simile (comparative comparison with evidence); antithesis simile (comparative comparison with opposition); allegorical simile ( satirical comparison); and implicit simile (subtle, suggestive comparison)...

Example (譬喻) is a term first seen in Xunzi. During the Warring States period, the usage of the Twelve Sons was similar to that of modern-day examples and analogies .

Although we can use the words "tỉ dụ, thí dụ, ví dụ" interchangeably, in our opinion, using "ví dụ " is the most appropriate, because "tỉ dụ" has become an archaic word, rarely used, while " ví dụ " is a word that is neither here nor there (Vietnamese + Chinese).

Additionally, please note that there are Sino-Vietnamese words that are synonymous or nearly synonymous with "tỉ dụ, thí dụ, ví dụ," such as "cử lệ, hảo tỉ, hảo tự, hữu như, kham tự, lệ như, như đồng, thí như, tỉ phương"...

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/ti-du-thi-du-vi-du-185250718215610368.htm