Han character 胋

It names plain meat broth; another gloss means “fatty.”

The Chinese food term 胋 names 大羹, an unseasoned meat broth, a plain preparation rather than the seasoned kind. A separate dictionary gloss gives 肥, meaning “fat” or “fatty.” The sentence decides which sense fits.

What does its earliest record show?

The earliest dictionary record names a plain meat broth.

The earliest known dictionary entry for 胋 is in 玉篇, an early Chinese dictionary compiled in 543; it glosses the character as 大羹, plain meat broth. Ritual texts describe this unseasoned broth as an offering that preserved an older cooking practice; food accounts also mention it as a dish served to guests.

Why can 胋 mean “night” in Vietnamese?

In Vietnamese Hán-Nôm, it can stand for the word for “night.”

A Vietnamese Hán-Nôm dictionary lists 胋 as a way to write đêm, “night.” Hán-Nôm is a historical Vietnamese writing tradition that uses Chinese characters and forms created to write Vietnamese. This reading belongs to Vietnamese writing, not to the Chinese broth gloss.