Etymology

First attested in the manuscripts of French Catholic missionary Jean Basset's (c. 1662–1707) Classical Chinese translation of the New Testament, and possibly abbreviated from the pre-existing translation 基利斯督Category:Chinese redlinks/zh-l. Although Basset's manuscripts were not widely circulated, they were consulted by British Protestant missionary Robert Morrison, who used 基督 in his own Chinese translations of the Bible in the early 19th century. The term 基督 subsequently gained popularity and replaced other tetrasyllabic translations of "Christ" (e.g. 基利斯督Category:Chinese redlinks/zh-l) in the mid-19th century.^[1]

Pronunciation

Proper noun

基督Category:Chinese lemmas#土08目08Category:Chinese proper nouns#土08目08Category:Chinese entries with incorrect language header#土08目08Category:Pages with entries#基督Category:Pages with 4 entries#基督

1. Christ
   • 1813, “保羅與可林多軰書”, in Robert Morrison, transl., 耶穌基利士督我主救者新遺詔書, 1 Corinthians 15:16–17, page 26:

     若死軰不復活，基督亦未復活。又若基督未復活，汝信必為妄焉，汝猶在汝諸罪之中。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     若死軰不复活，基督亦未复活。又若基督未复活，汝信必为妄焉，汝犹在汝诸罪之中。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     Ruò sǐ bèi bù fùhuó, jīdū yì wèi fùhuó. Yòu ruò jīdū wèi fùhuó, rǔ xìn bì wéi wàng yān, rǔ yóu zài rǔ zhū zuì zhī zhōng. [Pinyin]

     For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised: And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.

     Category:Classical Chinese terms with quotations

   • 1837, “星宿”, in Karl Gützlaff, editor, 東西洋考每月統紀傳 [Eastern Western Monthly Magazine], page 168:

     當日，我救世主降生，有賢人自東方尋至猶太國，問其星之安在。有云：「吾在東方，曾見其星，今來伏拜之耳。」王聞言駭疑，暨京都之民皆然。故召祭司首人，並民中書士，議而問曰：「基督何生？」伊指其邑矣。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     当日，我救世主降生，有贤人自东方寻至犹太国，问其星之安在。有云：「吾在东方，曾见其星，今来伏拜之耳。」王闻言骇疑，暨京都之民皆然。故召祭司首人，并民中书士，议而问曰：「基督何生？」伊指其邑矣。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     Dāngrì, wǒ jiùshìzhǔ jiàngshēng, yǒu xiánrén zì dōngfāng xún zhì Yóutài guó, wèn qí xīng zhī ān zài. Yǒu yún: “Wú zài dōngfāng, céng jiàn qí xīng, jīn lái fú bài zhī ěr.” Wáng wén yán hàiyí, jì jīngdū zhī mín jiē rán. Gù zhào jìsī shǒu rén, bìng mín zhōng shūshì, yì ér wèn yuē: “Jīdū hé shēng?” Yī zhǐ qí yì yǐ. [Pinyin]

     (please add an English translation of this quotation) Category:Requests for translations of Classical Chinese quotations

     Category:Classical Chinese terms with quotations

References

Etymology

Imported by Jesuit scribes from Jesuit translations into Chinese,^[1] coined originally in Chinese texts as an abbreviation of transcription 基利斯督 (originally Kirishito in Japanese phonology, later shifting in Japanese to Kirisuto).^[1] First attested in the 1590s.^[1]

This spelling was standard until roughly the mid-Meiji era (1890s), since which time the katakana spelling キリスト has become more common.^[1]

Definitions

Descendants

• → Korean: 기독 (Gidok)
• → Vietnamese: Cơ đốc

References

• “〈基督〉”, in 漢字ぺディア [Kanjipedia]‎ (in Japanese), The Japan Kanji Aptitude Testing Foundation, 2015–2026

Proper noun

基督 • (Gidok) (hangeul 기독)Category:Korean lemmas#기독Category:Korean terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys#기독Category:Korean proper nouns#기독Category:Korean proper nouns in Han script#기독Category:Korean terms with redundant script codes#기독Category:Korean entries with incorrect language header#기독Category:Pages with entries#基督Category:Pages with 4 entries#基督

1. hanja form^? of 기독 (“Christ”)Category:Korean hanja forms#基督

Proper noun

基督Category:Vietnamese lemmas#土08目08Category:Vietnamese proper nouns#土08目08Category:Vietnamese entries with incorrect language header#土08目08Category:Pages with entries#基督Category:Pages with 4 entries#基督Category:Vietnamese proper nouns in Han script#土08目08

1. chữ Hán form of Cơ đốc (“Christ”)Category:Vietnamese Chữ Hán