Taegeuk
/ˈtɛɡʊk/noun
A Korean philosophical concept and symbol representing the dynamic interplay of complementary forces, especially yin and yang.
Did you know?The term comes from the Confucian Yijing, or Book of Changes, where the “Great Ultimate” is the generative principle from which yin and yang emerge; the familiar red-and-blue design is specifically Korean.
Etymological Timeline
3rd–2nd Century BCE
Classical Chinese
太極 (tàijí)
“The Great Ultimate or supreme generative principle, discussed in the Yijing tradition”
6th–10th Century
Middle Chinese
太極
“A philosophical term for the ultimate principle underlying the differentiation of yin and yang”
10th–12th Century
Neo-Confucian Chinese
太極
“The cosmic principle elaborated by thinkers such as Zhou Dunyi as the source of yin, yang, and the forces of nature”
Middle Korean
Korean
太極 (태극, taegeuk)
“The Sino-Korean reading of the Chinese philosophical term”
1883
Korean
태극 (taegeuk)
“A central emblem on the first Korean national flag, the predecessor of the modern Taegeukgi”
Modern English
English
taegeuk
“The Korean concept and emblem commonly associated with the red-and-blue swirling circle”