Bonsai
/ˈbɒn.saɪ/noun
The art of cultivating and training miniature trees in containers.
Did you know?Bonsai developed from the older Chinese tradition of penjing and was shaped in Japan by Buddhist monks, who treated cultivated landscapes as objects of contemplation.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Chinese
Chinese
盆栽
“Cultivating plants in a basin or container; the Chinese precursor to bonsai.”
Middle Chinese
Middle Chinese
盆栽
“A compound of 盆, a basin or tray, and 栽, to plant or cultivate.”
7th–10th Centuries
Japanese
盆栽
“The Japanese reading of the Chinese characters, referring to cultivated plants in containers.”
14th–17th Centuries
Japanese
盆栽
“A refined horticultural and aesthetic practice involving the training of miniature trees.”
19th Century
English
bonsai
“An imported Japanese art or miniature tree cultivated in a pot.”
Modern English
English
bonsai
“The art, practice, or miniature tree itself.”