Editing Qi (section)

==Linguistic aspects==
{{More citations needed section|date=January 2017}}
The cultural keyword ''qì'' is analyzable in terms of Chinese and [[Sino-Xenic pronunciations]]. Possible [[etymologies]] include the [[logograph]]s {{lang|zh|氣}}, {{lang|zh|气}}, and {{lang|zh|気}} with various meanings ranging from "vapor" to "anger", and the English [[loanword]] qi or ch'i.

===Pronunciation and etymology===
The logograph {{lang|zh|氣}} is read with two Chinese pronunciations: the usual ''qì'' {{lang|zh|氣}} "air; vital energy" and the rare archaic ''xì'' {{lang|zh|氣}} "to present food" (later disambiguated with {{lang|zh|餼}}). [[Hackett Publishing Company]], [[Philip J. Ivanhoe]], and [[Bryan W. Van Norden]] theorize that the word qi possibly came from a term that referred to "the mist that arose from heated sacrificial offerings".<ref name=":12">{{Cite book |last1=Ivanhoe |first1=Philip J. |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/60826646 |title=Readings in Classical Chinese Philosophy |last2=Van Norden |first2=Bryan W. |publisher=[[Hackett Publishing Company]] |year=2005 |isbn=0-87220-781-1 |edition=2nd |location=Indianapolis |pages=391 |oclc=60826646 |author-link=Philip J. Ivanhoe |author-link2=Bryan W. Van Norden}}</ref>

Pronunciations of {{lang|zh|氣}} in modern [[varieties of Chinese]] with standardized [[International Phonetic Alphabet|IPA]] equivalents include: [[Standard Chinese]] ''qì'' {{IPA|/t͡ɕʰi˥˩/}}, [[Wu Chinese]] qi {{IPA|/t͡ɕʰi˧˦/}}, [[Southern Min]] ''khì'' {{IPA|/kʰi˨˩/}}, [[Eastern Min]] ''ké'' {{IPA|/kʰɛi˨˩˧/}}, [[Standard Cantonese]] ''hei<sup>3</sup>'' {{IPA|/hei̯˧/}}, and [[Hakka Chinese]] ''hi'' {{IPA|/hi˥/}}.

Pronunciations of {{lang|zh|氣}} in Sino-Xenic borrowings include: [[Japanese language|Japanese]] ''ki'', [[Korean language|Korean]] ''gi'', and [[Vietnamese language|Vietnamese]] ''khí.''

Reconstructions of the [[Middle Chinese]] pronunciation of {{lang|zh|氣}} standardized to IPA transcription include: /kʰe̯i<sup>H</sup>/ ([[Bernard Karlgren]]), /kʰĭəi<sup>H</sup>/ ([[Wang Li (linguist)|Wang Li]]), /kʰiəi<sup>H</sup>/ ([[Li Rong (linguist)|Li Rong]]), /kʰɨj<sup>H</sup>/ ([[Edwin Pulleyblank]]), and /kʰɨi<sup>H</sup>/ ([[Zhengzhang Shangfang]]).

Axel Schuessler's reconstruction of the [[Eastern Han Chinese|Later Han Chinese]] pronunciation of {{lang|zh|氣}} is /kɨs/.<ref name=Schuessler2006 />

Reconstructions of the [[Old Chinese]] pronunciation of {{lang|zh|氣}} standardized to IPA transcription include: */kʰɯds/ (Zhengzhang Shangfang), */C.qʰəp-s/ ([[William H. Baxter]] and [[Laurent Sagart]]), and */kə(t)s/ (Axel Schuessler<ref name=Schuessler2006 />).

The etymology of ''qì'' interconnects with [[Kharia language|Kharia]] ''kʰis'' "anger", [[Sora language|Sora]] ''kissa'' "move with great effort", [[Khmer language|Khmer]] ''kʰɛs'' "strive after; endeavor", and [[Gyalrongic languages|Gyalrongic]] ''kʰɐs'' "anger".<ref name=Schuessler2006>{{cite book|last1=Schuessler|first1=Axel|title=ABC Etymological Dictionary of Old Chinese|date=2006|publisher=University of Hawaii Press|location=Honolulu|isbn=9780824829759|page=423|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nIvqAC7FNBQC|access-date=5 January 2017|language=en}}</ref>

===Characters===
In the [[East Asian languages]], ''qì'' has three logographs:
*{{linktext|lang=zh|氣}} is the [[Traditional Chinese characters|traditional Chinese character]], Korean ''[[hanja]]'', and Japanese ''[[kyūjitai]]'' ("old character form") ''[[kanji]]''
*{{linktext|lang=zh|気}} is the Japanese ''[[shinjitai]]'' ("new character form") ''kanji''
*{{linktext|lang=zh|气}} is the [[simplified Chinese character]].
In addition, ''qì'' {{linktext|lang=zh|炁}} is an uncommon character especially used in writing [[Fulu|Daoist talismans]]. Historically, the word ''qì'' was generally written as {{lang|zh|气}} until the [[Han dynasty]] (206 BCE–220 CE), when it was replaced by the {{lang|zh|氣}} graph clarified with ''mǐ'' {{linktext|lang=zh|米}} "rice" indicating "steam (rising from rice as it cooks.)" and depicting the Traditional Chinese view of the transformative, changeable nature of existence and the universe.

This primary logograph {{lang|zh|气}}, the earliest written character for ''qì,'' consisted of three wavy horizontal lines seen in [[Shang dynasty]] (c. 1600–1046 BCE) [[oracle bone script]], [[Zhou dynasty]] (1046–256 BCE) [[Chinese bronze inscriptions|bronzeware script]] and [[large seal script]], and [[Qin dynasty]] (221–206 BCE) [[small seal script]]. These oracle, bronze, and seal scripts logographs {{lang|zh|气}} were used in ancient times as a [[phonetic loan character]] to write ''qǐ'' {{lang|zh|乞}} "plead for; beg; ask" which did not have an early character.

The vast majority of Chinese characters are classified as [[Phono-semantic compound|radical-phonetic characters]]. Such characters combine a semantically suggestive "[[radical (Chinese character)|radical characters]]" with a phonetic element approximating ancient pronunciation. For example, the widely known word ''dào'' {{linktext|lang=zh|道}} "the [[Tao|Dao]]; the way" graphically combines the [[Radical 162|"walk" radical]] {{lang|zh|辶}} with a ''shǒu'' {{lang|zh|首}} "head" phonetic. Although the modern ''dào'' and ''shǒu'' pronunciations are dissimilar, the [[Old Chinese]] ''*lˤuʔ-s'' {{lang|zh|道}} and ''*l̥uʔ-s'' {{lang|zh|首}} were alike. The [[regular script]] character ''qì'' {{linktext|lang=zh|氣}} is unusual because ''qì'' {{linktext|lang=zh|气}} is both the [[Radical 84|"air radical"]] and the phonetic, with ''mǐ'' {{lang|zh|米}} "rice" semantically indicating "steam; vapor".

This ''qì'' {{lang|zh|气}} "air/gas radical" was only used in a few native Chinese characters like ''yīnyūn'' {{lang|zh|氤氲}} "thick mist/smoke", but was also used to create new scientific [[Chemical elements in East Asian languages#Chinese|characters for gaseous chemical elements]]. Some examples are based on pronunciations in European languages: ''fú'' {{lang|zh|氟}} (with a ''fú'' {{lang|zh|弗}} phonetic) "[[fluorine]]" and ''nǎi'' {{lang|zh|氖}} (with a ''nǎi'' {{lang|zh|乃}} phonetic) "[[neon]]". Others are based on semantics: ''qīng'' {{lang|zh|氫}} (with a ''jīng'' {{lang|zh|巠}} phonetic, abbreviating ''qīng'' {{lang|zh|輕}} "light-weight") "[[hydrogen]] (the lightest element)" and ''lǜ'' {{lang|zh|氯}} (with a ''lù'' {{lang|zh|彔}} phonetic, abbreviating ''lǜ'' {{lang|zh|綠}} "green") "(greenish-yellow) [[chlorine]]".

''Qì'' {{lang|zh|氣}} is the phonetic element in a few characters such as ''kài'' {{lang|zh|愾}} "hate" with the [[Radical 61|"heart-mind radical"]] {{lang|zh|忄}}or {{lang|zh|心}}, ''xì'' {{lang|zh|熂}} "set fire to weeds" with the [[Radical 86|"fire radical"]] {{lang|zh|火}}, and ''xì'' {{lang|zh|餼}} "to present food" with the [[Radical 184|"food radical"]] {{lang|zh|食}}.

The first Chinese dictionary of characters, the ''[[Shuowen Jiezi]]''(121 CE) notes that the primary ''qì'' {{lang|zh|气}} is a [[Chinese character classification#Pictograms|pictographic character]] depicting {{lang|zh|雲气}} "cloudy vapors", and that the full {{lang|zh|氣}} combines {{lang|zh|米}} "rice" with the phonetic qi {{lang|zh|气}}, meaning {{lang|zh|饋客芻米}} "present provisions to guests" (later disambiguated as ''xì'' {{lang|zh|餼}}).

<gallery>
File:气-oracle.svg|[[Oracle bone script]] for ''qì'' depicting [[Three Treasures (traditional Chinese medicine)|the classical three treasures of Chinese philosophy]] 
File:气-bronze.svg|[[Chinese bronze inscriptions|Bronzeware script]] for ''qì'' 
File:气-bigseal.svg|[[Large seal script]] for ''qì'' 
File:气-seal.svg|[[Small seal script]] for ''qì'', simplified Chinese character {{lang|zh|气}} is based on it.
File:ki obsolete.svg|[[Traditional Chinese]] character {{lang|zh|氣}} ''qì'', also used in Korean [[hanja]]. In Japanese [[kanji]], it was used until 1946 when [[Tōyō kanji|it was simplified]] to {{lang|ja|気}}.
</gallery>

===Meanings===
Qi is a polysemous word. The unabridged Chinese-Chinese character dictionary ''[[Hanyu Da Cidian]]'' defines it as "present food or provisions" for the ''xì'' pronunciation but also lists 23 meanings for the ''qì'' pronunciation.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Mair|first1=Victor H.|title=An Alphabetical Index to the Hanyu Da Cidian|date=2003|publisher=University of Hawai'i Press|location=Honolulu, Hawaii|isbn=978-0824828165|page=2011}}</ref> The modern ''ABC Chinese-English Comprehensive Dictionary,'' which enters ''xì'' {{lang|zh|餼}} "grain; animal feed; make a present of food", and a ''qì'' {{lang|zh|氣}} entry with seven translation equivalents for the noun, two for [[bound morphemes]], and three equivalents for the verb. <blockquote>'''n.''' ① air; gas ② smell ③ spirit; vigor; morale ④ vital/material energy (in Ch[inese] metaphysics) ⑤ tone; atmosphere; attitude ⑥ anger ⑦ breath; respiration '''b.f.''' ① weather {{lang|zh|天氣}} ''tiānqì'' ② [linguistics] aspiration {{lang|zh|送氣}} ''sòngqì'' '''v.''' ① anger ② get angry ③ bully; insult.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Defrancis|first1=John|last2=Yuqing|first2=Bai|title=ABC Chinese-English Dictionary|date=1999|publisher=University of Hawai'i Press|location=Honolulu|isbn=978-0824821548|page=465}}</ref></blockquote>Qi was also thought of as meaning "'forces in nature'" that [[deity]] could control and [[Magic (supernatural)|magicians]] and [[occultists]] could harness.<ref name=":03" />

===English borrowing===
Qi was an early [[List of English words of Chinese origin|Chinese loanword]] in English. It was [[Romanization of Chinese|romanized]] as ''k'i'' in [[Pe̍h-ōe-jī|Church Romanization]] in the early-19th century, as ch'i in [[Wade–Giles]] in the mid-19th century (sometimes misspelled ''chi'' omitting the apostrophe), and as qi in [[Pinyin]] in the mid-20th century. The ''[[Oxford English Dictionary]]'' entry for qi gives the pronunciation as {{IPAc-en|tʃ|i}}, the etymology from Chinese ''qì'' "air; breath", and a definition of "The physical life-force postulated by certain Chinese philosophers; the material principle." It also gives eight usage examples, with the first recorded example of ''k'í'' in 1850 (''[[The Chinese Repository]]''),<ref group=note>Quoting [[Confucius]] that the ''[[Taiji (philosophy)|Taiji]]'' or "Great Extreme is the primordial substance (''k'í'') which, moving along, divided and made two ''k'í''; that which in itself has motion is the ''Yang'', and that which had rest .‥ is the ''Yin''."</ref> of ch'i in 1917 (''[[The Encyclopaedia Sinica]]''),<ref group=note>The essence of the ethical principle ''[[Li (Neo-Confucianism)|Li]]'' "is absolutely pure and good, but seeing that it is inseparable from the material element Ch'i.‥ it is from Man's birth to a greater or less extent impeded and tainted."</ref> and qi in 1971 ([[Felix Mann]]'s ''Acupuncture'')<ref group=note>"To the ancients the cornerstone of the theory of acupuncture, the concept whereby they explained its effects and action, was Qi, the energy of life."</ref>

The word qi is very frequently used in [[word game]]s—such as ''[[Scrabble]]''—due to containing a letter [[Q]] without a letter [[U]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://wordfinder.yourdictionary.com/blog/the-power-of-qi-a-scrabble-word-thatll-center-your-game/|title=The Power of Qi: A Scrabble Word That'll Center Your Game|first=Michael|last=Kwan|date=June 2, 2022|access-date=July 9, 2022}}</ref>