Tianzi
/ˈtjɛnˌdziː/noun
A Chinese title meaning the emperor, traditionally understood as the Son of Heaven.
Did you know?The Tianzi was not considered permanently divine: Chinese political thought held that Heaven could withdraw its favor, a concept known as the Mandate of Heaven.
Etymological Timeline
Late Shang–Early Zhou period
Old Chinese
天子 (*tʰˤi[n] tsəʔ)
“Son of Heaven; the ruler viewed as Heaven’s favored human sovereign”
Western Zhou period
Classical Chinese
天子
“A royal title linking the Zhou king’s authority to Heaven”
2nd–1st Century BCE
Classical Chinese
天子
“The emperor within an imperial theory of cosmic legitimacy and the Mandate of Heaven”
6th–10th Century
Middle Chinese
天子 (中古音 *thian-tsí)
“Son of Heaven; imperial ruler”
Modern period
Mandarin Chinese
tiānzǐ
“The Son of Heaven, especially a historical Chinese emperor”
Modern English
English
tianzi
“A scholarly English loanword for the traditional Chinese imperial title “Son of Heaven””