Xiake
/ɕjɛ˥˥ kʰɤ˥˩/noun
A Chinese knight-errant or wandering martial hero who follows a personal code of loyalty and justice.
Did you know?Xiake were celebrated in Chinese literature as figures who could defy corrupt officials and enforce justice outside the formal legal system.
Etymological Timeline
Old Chinese, approximately 1st millennium BCE
Old Chinese
俠 (*ɡˤep)
“A chivalrous or gallant person, especially one who aids others through personal courage”
Classical Chinese, Warring States–Han periods
Classical Chinese
俠客
“A chivalrous person or wandering swordsman; literally a gallant person plus a guest or outsider”
Middle Chinese, approximately 6th–10th centuries
Middle Chinese
俠客 (hæp khak)
“A knight-errant or martial wanderer living by a personal code”
Modern Mandarin
Mandarin
俠客 (xiákè)
“A knight-errant, wandering martial hero, or heroic swordsman”
Modern English
English
xiake
“An English transliteration used for the Chinese cultural and literary figure of the knight-errant”