Daoist
/ˈdaʊ.ɪst/noun
A follower or practitioner of Daoism, the Chinese philosophical and religious tradition centered on the Dao.
Did you know?Daoist is built from Dao (道), a word that can mean “way,” “path,” or “principle,” and in classical Chinese thought it points to the underlying order of the universe, not a spell or deity.
Etymological Timeline
Classical Chinese
Chinese
道 (dào)
“way, path, road, principle, or the guiding course of reality”
Late Classical / Early Imperial Chinese
Chinese
道家 (dàojiā)
“the “School of the Way,” referring to Daoist thinkers and traditions”
19th Century
English
Taoist
“a person adhering to Taoism, using Wade-Giles romanization”
20th Century
English
Daoist
“modern pinyin-based spelling for a follower of Daoism”