Confucian
/kənˈfjuːʃən/noun
Relating to Confucius, his teachings, or the philosophical tradition based on them.
Did you know?“Confucius” is not his original Chinese name but a Latinized form of Kong Fuzi, meaning “Master Kong,” created through early Jesuit transmission into European languages.
Etymological Timeline
551–479 BCE
Classical Chinese
孔子 (Kǒngzǐ)
“Master Kong; the honorific name for the philosopher Kong Qiu”
Late 1st millennium CE
Chinese
孔夫子 (Kǒng Fūzǐ)
“Master Kong, a respectful title used for Confucius”
16th–17th Century
Italian/Latin
Confucius
“European Latinization of Chinese Kong Fuzi”
17th Century
Latin
Confucianus
“Relating to Confucius or his teachings”
17th Century
English
Confucian
“Relating to Confucius or Confucian doctrine”
Modern English
English
Confucian
“Connected with Confucius, Confucianism, or its ethical and philosophical ideas”
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