Regarding the word "xui xúc" in the Thanh Hoa dialect.

In the previous issue of our column "Casual Conversations on Words" (April 2026), we analyzed the coordinate meaning of the word "ugly," a word collected and defined in the Dictionary of Reduplicated Words (Institute of Linguistics - Hoang Van Hanh editor-in-chief - Social Sciences Publishing House, 2011). In this article, we will analyze the coordinate meaning of the word "unlucky" (xui xúc).

"Xui xúc" is a compound word of Chinese origin. We couldn't find any dictionary that records "xui xúc." However, people in Thanh Hoa often use it, and the word has a meaning similar to "incite" or "suggest."

"Xui" (or "xúi"), derived from the Chinese character 催, means to urge or encourage. The phonetic relationship TH ↔ X is similar to village 村 ↔ hamlet; city 成 ↔ finished; and heaven 偏 ↔ crooked (skewed, etc.). This character "xui" is the same as "xui" in "xui bảy" (to incite someone to do something wrong) or "xúi" in "xúi xúc" (to incite or encourage someone to do something wrong with malicious intent).

The character 促 (xúc) means to urge, to push. This is the same "xúc" as in "xúc nộ" (to provoke anger) and "xúc ý" (to incite), which Lê Văn Đức's Vietnamese dictionary explains as: "xúc nộ: to provoke anger"; "xúc ý • verb. To provoke, to make someone angry, to upset" ("to upset," meaning "upset," "upset stomach" = angry, upset, dissatisfied - Translator's note). People in Thanh Hóa use "xúc" as an independent word in a functional sense. For example: Because it provoked, that's why I ran headfirst into it, and now I'm in this predicament.

The word "rục" in "xúi dục" (to incite/urge) and "rục giã" (to urge/urge) also comes from the word "xúc" (to touch/to pierce/trick). The phonetic relationship X ↔ GI is similar to "xao" ↔ "gõ" (to knock); "giảo" ↔ "xỏ" (to trick/trick),...

The word "xui xúc" (催促) originates from Chinese. The Chinese dictionary defines this word ("thôi thúc" 催促) as: "Xúc sử cản khoái hành động; thôi động tòng tốc khứ tố - 促使趕快行動; 推動從速去做," meaning: to urge, to prompt action; to push for speed (similar meaning to "thôi thúc" in Vietnamese). However, that is the original meaning of "thôi thúc." When it transforms into "xui xúc," it becomes a new word with the meaning: to instigate and encourage others to do wrong with malicious intent.

Thus, "xui xúc" in the Thanh Hoa dialect is essentially a local variant of the Sino-Vietnamese word "thôi thúc" (催促). However, like many other cases of adoption and creation, when it enters spoken language, "xui xúc" not only changes phonetically but also shifts in meaning. While "thôi thúc" or "thúc thúc" generally refers to the act of urging or prompting others to act quickly, "xui xúc" leans towards the meaning of instigating or encouraging others to do something wrong, often implying the malicious intentions of the person influencing them.

It can be said that "xui xúc" is a remarkable case of preserving ancient Sino-Vietnamese elements in dialects, and also demonstrates the Vietnamese people's ability to create meaning: from a Sino-Vietnamese root compound "thôi thúc" 催促, through phonetic transformation (thôi → xui; xúc ↔ thúc), the Vietnamese created a new word close in meaning to "xúi xúc," which is still preserved in the Thanh Hoa dialect. Therefore, from an etymological perspective, "xui xúc" is not a meaningless form of "spoofing," but a lexical unit with a clear phonetic and semantic basis and a distinct nuance ("xui xúc" has a more subtle malicious connotation than "xúi xúc") that deserves to be collected and recorded in dictionaries and dialect studies.

Hoang Trinh Son (Contributor)

Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/ve-tu-xui-xuc-nbsp-trong-phuong-ngu-thanh-hoa-288863.htm