Tai Chi Chuan
/ˌtaɪ ˌtʃiː ˈtʃwɑːn/noun
A Chinese martial art characterized by slow, deliberate movements, coordinated breathing, and balance.
Did you know?The term draws on Daoist and Neo-Confucian cosmology: tàijí refers to the “Supreme Ultimate,” the generative principle associated with the interplay of yin and yang.
Etymological Timeline
Classical Chinese
Classical Chinese
太極拳
““Supreme Ultimate Fist”; 太極 refers to the cosmic principle of supreme polarity, while 拳 means fist or boxing.”
11th–12th Century
Chinese
太極 (tàijí)
“The “Supreme Ultimate,” a philosophical concept developed prominently in Song-dynasty Neo-Confucian thought.”
17th Century
Chinese
太極拳
“A martial-art tradition associated in later accounts with Chen-style boxing and internal cultivation.”
19th Century
Wade–Giles
t'ai chi ch'üan
“The traditional Romanization used in many English-language works for the Chinese martial art.”
20th Century
English
tai chi chuan
“An English loanword referring to the martial art, often shortened to tai chi.”