太極

See also: 太极

Chinese

		too (much); very; extremely too (much); very; extremely; highest; greatest	utmost; pole; extreme utmost; pole; extreme; to reach the limit
trad. (太極)		太	極
simp. (太极)		太	极

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): tàijí

  (Zhuyin): ㄊㄞˋ ㄐㄧˊ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): taai³ gik⁶
• Hakka (Sixian, PFS): thai-khi̍t
• Eastern Min (BUC): tái-gĭk
• Southern Min

  (Hokkien, POJ): thài-kia̍k / thài-ke̍k

  (Teochew, Peng'im): tai³ gêg⁸

• Wu (Wugniu)
  • (Northern): ¹tha-ciq

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: tàijí
    • Zhuyin: ㄊㄞˋ ㄐㄧˊ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: tàijí
    • Wade–Giles: tʻai⁴-chi²
    • Yale: tài-jí
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: tayjyi
    • Palladius: тайцзи (tajczi)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /tʰaɪ̯⁵¹ t͡ɕi³⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: taai³ gik⁶
    • Yale: taai gihk
    • Cantonese Pinyin: taai³ gik⁹
    • Guangdong Romanization: tai³ gig⁶
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /tʰaːi̯³³ kɪk̚²/
• Hakka
  • (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Meinong)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: thai-khi̍t
    • Hakka Romanization System: tai kid
    • Hagfa Pinyim: tai⁴ kid⁶
    • Sinological IPA: /tʰai̯⁵⁵ kʰit̚⁵/
• Eastern Min
  • (Fuzhou)
    • Bàng-uâ-cê: tái-gĭk
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /tʰai²¹³⁻⁵⁵ ^(k-)iʔ⁵/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien: Quanzhou)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: thài-kia̍k
    • Tâi-lô: thài-kia̍k
    • Phofsit Daibuun: tae'kiak
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /tʰai⁴¹⁻⁵⁵⁴ kiak̚²⁴/
  • (Hokkien: General Taiwanese, Xiamen, Zhangzhou)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: thài-ke̍k
    • Tâi-lô: thài-ki̍k
    • Phofsit Daibuun: tae'kek
    • IPA (Zhangzhou): /tʰai²¹⁻⁵³ kiɪk̚¹²¹/
    • IPA (Xiamen): /tʰai²¹⁻⁵³ kiɪk̚⁴/
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /tʰai²¹⁻⁴¹ kiɪk̚⁴/
    • IPA (Taipei): /tʰai¹¹⁻⁵³ kiɪk̚⁴/
  • (Teochew)
    • Peng'im: tai³ gêg⁸
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: thài ke̍k
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /tʰai²¹³⁻⁵⁵ kek̚⁴/
• Wu
  • (Northern: Shanghai)
    • Wugniu: ¹tha-ciq
    • MiniDict: tha^平 cih
    • Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ¹tha-jiq
    • Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /tʰa⁵⁵ t͡ɕiɪʔ²¹/

Noun

太極

1. taiji ("The Absolute"; the condition as it existed before the creation of the world)
2. tai chi; taiji

Derived terms

• 太極劍／太极剑
• 太極圖／太极图 (tàijítú)
• 太極拳／太极拳 (tàijíquán)
• 太極旗／太极旗 (Tàijíqí)
• 太極門／太极门
• 打太極／打太极 (dǎ tàijí)

 

Descendants

Sino-Xenic (太極):

• → Japanese: 太極(たいきょく) (taikyoku)
• → Korean: 태극(太極) (taegeuk)
• → Vietnamese: thái cực (太極)

→ English: tai chi, taiji (via Mandarin), taegeuk (via Korean)

• → Thai: ไทชิ

→ Thai: ไทเก๊ก, ไท้เก๊ก (via Teochew)

Japanese

Kanji in this term
太	極
たい Grade: 2	きょく Grade: 4
on’yomi	kan’on

Alternative spelling
大極

Etymology

Ultimately from Middle Chinese 太極 (MC thajH gik).

First cited to a text from roughly 1060, with the spelling 大極.

The main spelling in Japanese is 太極. The alternative with 大 instead of 太 appears to be largely obsolete, and is not listed in many dictionaries.

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) たいきょく [tàíkyókú] (Heiban – [0])
• IPA^(key): [ta̠ikʲo̞kɯ̟ᵝ]

Noun

太(たい)極(きょく) • (taikyoku) 

1. [circa 1060] (Chinese philosophy) the Absolute: the condition as it existed before the creation of the world
2. a sword technique in the Yoshioka Kenpō school of kendō
3. (uncommon) short for 太極拳 (Taikyokuken): Tai Chi

Derived terms

太極図

• 太(たい)極(きょく)拳(けん) (Taikyokuken): Tai Chi Chuan
• 太(たい)極(きょく)図(ず) (taikyokuzu): an image of the absolute, most commonly the yin-yang symbol
• 太(たい)極(きょく)図(ず)門(もん) (taikyokuzu mon): a seal or crest using an image of the absolute

Korean

Hanja in this term
太	極

Noun

太極 • (taegeuk) (hangeul 태극)

1. Hanja form^? of 태극 (“tai chi”).

Vietnamese

chữ Hán Nôm in this term
太	極

Noun

太極

1. chữ Hán form of thái cực (“tai chi”).