Taiyi
/ˌtaɪˈjiː/noun
A Chinese cosmological and religious concept meaning the Great One or Supreme Unity, also treated as a celestial deity in certain traditions.
Did you know?In Han-dynasty China, Taiyi was not merely an abstract idea: imperial rituals honored Taiyi as a supreme celestial power associated with cosmic order.
Etymological Timeline
Old Chinese, before 200 BCE
Old Chinese
太一 (*tˤa[t] ʔi[t])
“The Great One; supreme unity or the highest cosmic principle”
Warring States period, 4th–3rd century BCE
Classical Chinese
太一
“A primordial unity or highest cosmic reality in philosophical and religious texts”
2nd century BCE
Han Chinese
太一 (Tàiyī)
“A celestial power honored in imperial state sacrifices and associated with cosmic governance”
2nd–6th centuries CE
Chinese religious traditions
太一
“A supreme celestial deity or divine unity incorporated into developing Daoist cosmology”
19th–20th centuries
English scholarship
Tai-i / Tai-i or Taiyi
“Romanized forms used by Western scholars discussing Chinese religion and philosophy”
Modern English
English
Taiyi
“A transliteration of Chinese 太一, used for the cosmological principle, deity, and related Daoist figures”