宇宙
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Chinese
| room; universe | universe | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| simp. and trad. (宇宙) |
宇 | 宙 | |
Etymology
Attested in several pre-Qin texts.
Meyer (2010) proposes that "eaves and roof beams" was a synecdoche for a domicile's entire space; this figure of speech would later be approrpiated by early authors and later Huainanziʼs contributors as "a metaphor for the cosmos, taking “eaves” and “roof beams” to represent the dimensions of space and time that compose the entire phenomenal universe."
Pronunciation
Noun
宇宙
- universe; cosmos; macrocosm; space
- 故聖人之事，廣之則極宇宙、窮日月，約之則無出乎身者也。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
- From: Lü Buwei, Master Lü's Spring and Autumn Annals, 239 BCE
- Gù shèngrén zhī shì, guǎng zhī zé jí yǔzhòu, qióng rìyuè, yuē zhī zé wú chū hū shēn zhě yě.
- Hence, what the sage does, considered in terms of its breadth, reaches to the ends of the universe, to the very limit of where the sun and moon shine; but when considered in terms of its essentials, it does not go out beyond his own person.
故圣人之事，广之则极宇宙、穷日月，约之则无出乎身者也。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]
- roof, ridgepole and beams (of a house)
- 而燕雀佼之，以為不能與之爭於宇宙之間。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
- From: Huainanzi, 2nd century BCE
- Ér yànquè jiǎo zhī, yǐwèi bùnéng yǔ zhī zhēng yú yǔzhòu zhījiān.
- And the swallows and sparrows are complacent, thinking that (the phoenix) cannot compete with them near the roof, ridgepole and beams of a house.
而燕雀佼之，以为不能与之争于宇宙之间。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]
- heaven and earth; all under heaven; country
- 經緯天地而材官萬物，制割大理而宇宙裡矣。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
- From: Xunzi, c. 3rd century BCE
- Jīngwěi tiāndì ér cái guān wànwù, zhì gē dàlǐ ér yǔzhòu lǐ yǐ.
- He sets straight Heaven and Earth, and arranges and makes useful the myriad things. He institutes great order, and the whole world is encompassed therein.
经纬天地而材官万物，制割大理而宇宙里矣。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]
- (infinite) space and time
- 舜以天下讓善卷，善卷曰：「余立於宇宙之中，冬日衣皮毛，夏日衣葛絺；春耕種，形足以勞動；秋收斂，身足以休息；日出而作，日入而息，逍遙於天地之間而心意自得。吾何以天下為哉？悲夫！子之不知余也！」遂不受。於是去而入深山，莫知其處。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
- From: Zhuangzi, circa 3rd – 2nd centuries BCE
- Shùn yǐ tiānxià ràng Shànjuǎn, Shànjuǎn yuē: “Yú lì yú yǔzhòu zhī zhōng, dōng rì yī pímáo, xià rì yī gěchī; chūn gēngzhòng, xíng zú yǐ láodòng; qiū shōuliǎn, shēn zú yǐ xiūxī; rì chū ér zuò, rì rù ér xī, xiāoyáo yú tiāndì zhījiān ér xīnyì zìdé. Wú héyǐ tiānxià wéi zāi? Bēi fū! Zǐ zhī bù zhī yú yě!” Suì bù shòu. Yúshì qù ér rù shēnshān, mò zhī qí chù.
- Shun proposed to resign the throne to Shan Juan, who said, 'I am a unit in the midst of space and time. In winter I wear skins and furs; in summer, grass-cloth and linen; in spring I plough and sow, my strength being equal to the toil; in autumn I gather in my harvest, and am prepared to cease from labour and eat. At sunrise I get up and work; at sunset I rest. So do I enjoy myself between heaven and earth, and my mind is content: why should I have anything to do with the throne? Alas! that you, Sir, do not know me better!' Thereupon he declined the proffer, and went away, deep among the hills, no man knew where.
舜以天下让善卷，善卷曰：「余立于宇宙之中，冬日衣皮毛，夏日衣葛𫄨；春耕种，形足以劳动；秋收敛，身足以休息；日出而作，日入而息，逍遥于天地之间而心意自得。吾何以天下为哉？悲夫！子之不知余也！」遂不受。于是去而入深山，莫知其处。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]
Derived terms
- 元宇宙 (yuányǔzhòu)
- 多元宇宙 (duōyuán yǔzhòu)
- 大宇宙 (dàyǔzhòu)
- 宇宙人 (yǔzhòurén)
- 宇宙塵／宇宙尘 (yǔzhòuchén)
- 宇宙大爆炸
- 宇宙學／宇宙学 (yǔzhòuxué)
- 宇宙射線／宇宙射线 (yǔzhòu shèxiàn)
- 宇宙年
- 宇宙火箭
- 宇宙空間／宇宙空间 (yǔzhòu kōngjiān)
- 宇宙站
- 宇宙線／宇宙线 (yǔzhòuxiàn)
- 宇宙航行
- 宇宙觀／宇宙观 (yǔzhòuguān)
- 宇宙論／宇宙论 (yǔzhòulùn)
- 宇宙通信
- 宇宙速度 (yǔzhòu sùdù)
- 宇宙鋒／宇宙锋
- 宇宙飛船／宇宙飞船 (yǔzhòu fēichuán)
- 封閉宇宙學說／封闭宇宙学说
- 小宇宙 (xiǎoyǔzhòu)
- 島宇宙／岛宇宙
- 平行宇宙 (píngxíng yǔzhòu)
- 膨脹宇宙／膨胀宇宙
- 開放宇宙學說／开放宇宙学说
Related terms
Descendants
References
- ^ Meyer, Andrew Seth "Appendix A: Key Chinese Terms and Their Translations - Entry 'yuzhou 宇宙'" in Liu An (2010) The Huainanzi: A Guide to the Theory and Practice of Government in Early Han China. translated and edited by Mayor, Queen, Meyer, & Roth. Series: Translations from the Asian Classics. New York: Columbia University Press
Further reading
- 王先謙 Wang Xianqian (compiler), 《莊子集解》 Zhuangzi - Collected Explanations. Quote: 「尸子云:『 天地四方曰宇，古往今來曰宙。』」. Rough translation: "Shizi said: '(What's within) Heaven's and Earth's four directions is called yǔ ("宇"; "space"); (what lasts) from past to present is called zhòu ("宙", "time").'"
Japanese
| Kanji in this term | |
|---|---|
| 宇 | 宙 |
| う Grade: 6 |
ちゅう Grade: 6 |
| on’yomi | |
Pronunciation
Noun
- the universe
- outer space
Synonyms
- 天地 (tenchi, “heaven and earth”)
- 自然 (shizen, “nature”)
- 世界 (sekai, “the world”)
- 万象 (banshō, “all things, all of the universe, every manifestation of nature”)
- 万物 (banbutsu, “all things, all of the universe, every manifestation of nature”)
- (outer space): スペース (supēsu)
Derived terms
- アメリカ航空宇宙局 (Amerika Kōkū Uchūkyoku, “NASA”)
- 大宇宙 (daiuchū, “macrocosm”)
- 宇宙ごみ (uchū-gomi, “space debris”)
- 宇宙ステーション (uchū sutēshon, “space station”)
- 宇宙ロケット (uchū roketto, “space rocket”)
- 宇宙中継 (uchū chūkei, “satellite relay”)
- 宇宙人 (uchūjin, “space alien”)
- 宇宙公害 (uchū kōgai, “space debris”)
- 宇宙兵器 (uchū heiki, “space weaponry”)
- 宇宙医学 (uchū igaku, “space medicine”)
- 宇宙博 (uchūhaku)
- 宇宙原理 (uchū genri, “cosmological principle”)
- 宇宙基地 (uchū kichi, “space station”)
- 宇宙塵 (uchūjin, “cosmic dust”)
- 宇宙大爆発 (uchū daibakuhatsu, “Big Bang”)
- 宇宙学 (uchūgaku, “cosmology”)
- 宇宙定数 (uchū teisū, “cosmological constant”)
- 宇宙工学 (uchū kōgaku, “astronautics”)
- 宇宙帽 (uchūbō, “space helmet”)
- 宇宙探査 (uchū tansa, “space exploration”)
- 宇宙旅行 (uchū ryokō, “space travel”)
- 宇宙服 (uchūfuku, “space suit”)
- 宇宙法 (uchūhō, “space law”)
- 宇宙物理 (uchū butsuri, “space physics”)
- 宇宙産業 (uchū sangyō, “space industry”)
- 宇宙病 (uchūbyō, “space nausea”)
- 宇宙発生論 (uchū hasseiron, “cosmogony”)
- 宇宙科学 (uchū kagaku)
- 宇宙空間 (uchū kūkan, “void of space”)
- 宇宙線 (uchūsen, “cosmic ray”)
- 宇宙背景放射 (uchū haikei hōsha, “cosmic background radiation”)
- 宇宙航空研究開発機構 (Uchū Kōkū Kenkyū Kaihatsu Kikō, “Japanese Exploration Agency”)
- 宇宙船 (uchūsen, “spaceship”)
- 宇宙観 (uchūkan)
- 宇宙論 (uchūron, “cosmology”)
- 宇宙速度 (uchū sokudo, “escape velocity”)
- 宇宙通信 (uchū tsūshin, “space communication”)
- 宇宙進化論 (uchū shinkaron, “cosmogony”)
- 宇宙遊泳 (uchū yūei, “space walk”)
- 宇宙酔い (uchū-yoi, “space sickness”)
- 宇宙開発 (uchū kaihatsu, “space exploration”)
- 宇宙開闢 (uchū kaibyaku)
- 宇宙電波 (uchū denpa, “cosmic radio waves”)
- 宇宙飛行 (uchū hikō, “space flight”)
- 宇宙食 (uchūshoku, “space food”)
- 小宇宙 (shōuchū, “microcosm”)
- 深宇宙 (shin'uchū, “deep space”)
- 米航空宇宙局 (Bei Kōkū Uchūkyoku, “NASA”)
- 航空宇宙工学 (kōkū uchū kōgaku, “aerospace engineering”)
- 航空宇宙技術研究所 (Kōkū Uchū Gijutsu Kenkyūjo, “National Aerospace Laboratory”)
- 航空宇宙産業 (kōkū uchū sangyō, “aerospace industry”)
Proper noun
| Kanji in this term | |
|---|---|
| 宇 | 宙 |
| ひろ Grade: 6 |
し Grade: 6 |
- a male given name
Korean
| Hanja in this term | |
|---|---|
| 宇 | 宙 |
Noun
Vietnamese
| chữ Hán Nôm in this term | |
|---|---|
| 宇 | 宙 |
Noun
宇宙
- chữ Hán form of vũ trụ (“outer space; universe; cosmos”).