三教九流

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Chinese

the Three teachings: Confucianism, Daoism, and Buddhism the Nine Schools of Pre-Qin Philosophy
trad. (三教九流) 三教 九流
simp. #(三教九流) 三教 九流
anagram 九流三教
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Etymology

The Three Religions (namely Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism) was established on January 9, 574, according to History of the Northern Dynasties. And the Nine Schools (namely Confucianism, Daoism, Naturalism, Legalism, Logicians, Mohism, Diplomatists, Syncretism, and Agriculturalism) is from:

諸子十家，其可觀者九家而已。
诸子十家，其可观者九家而已。
From: The Book of Han, circa 1st century CE
Zhūzǐ shí jiā, qí kěguān zhě jiǔ jiā éryǐ.
Only nine out of the ten schools of thought prove worthwhile.

Note that 小說家／小说家 (xiǎoshuōjiā, “School of ‘Minor-talks’”) was excluded henceforth.

The idiom as a whole first attested in the early 13th century.

Pronunciation

Noun

三教九流

  1. different schools of thought
  2. (often derogatory) people from all walks of life

Synonyms

Further reading

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