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Di ( Chinese: 地; pinyin: dì; Wade–Giles: ti; lit. 'earth') is one of the oldest Chinese terms for the earth and a key concept or figure in Chinese philosophy and religion. It is widely considered to be one of three powers (sāncái, 三才) which are Heaven, Earth, and Humanity (tiān-dì-rén, 天地人). [1]
There is a significant belief in Taoism which focuses on tian, as well as the forces of di (earth) and water, which are held to be equally powerful, [2] instead of earth and humanity.
Etymology
Dì is the modern Mandarin Chinese pronunciation. The Old Chinese pronunciation has been reconstructed as *lˤej-s. [3]
The Chinese character 地 is a phono-semantic compound, combining the 土 radical ("earth", "dirt") with the (former) sound marker 也 ( Modern Chinese yě, Old Chinese *lajʔ [3]).
The relationship between tian and di is important to Taoist cosmology. They are among the "three realms" of the world ( tian, earth, and water) presided over by the Three Great Emperor-Officials, [2] and thought to maintain the two poles of the "three powers", with humanity occupying the pivotal position between them.
Places
Mount Tai is seen as a sacred place in Confucianism and was traditionally the most revered place where Chinese emperors offered sacrifices to heaven and earth. [4]
See also
References
- ^ World Religions: Eastern Traditions (2nd ed.). Don Mills, Ontario: Oxford University Press. 2002. p. 169. ISBN 0-19-541521-3. OCLC 46661540.
- ^ a b "Sanguan". Encyclopedia Britannica. 2010-02-03. Retrieved 2023-04-30.
- ^ a b Baxter, William H.; Sagart, Lauren (2011-02-11). "Baxter-Sagart Old Chinese reconstruction". School for Advanced Studies in the Social Sciences. pp. 20, 176. Archived from the original on 2013-09-27. Retrieved 2023-05-03.
- ^ Guangwei, He; Hualing, Tong; Wenzhen, Yang; Zhenguo, Chang; Zeru, Li; Ruicheng, Dong; Weijan, Gong, eds. (1999). Spectacular China. Translated by Wusun, Lin; Zhongping, Wu. Cologne: Könemann. p. 42. ISBN 9783829010771.
External links
-
The dictionary definition of
地 at Wiktionary
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