Editing Yin and yang (section)

=== Characters ===
[[File:Yin yang (Chinese characters).svg|thumb|upright=0.7|{{zhi|p=Yīnyáng}} in [[seal script]] (top), as well as traditional (middle) and simplified (bottom) character forms]]
The [[Chinese characters]] {{linktext|lang=zh-hant|陰}} and {{linktext|lang=zh-hant|陽}} are both [[phono-semantic compounds]], with semantic component {{linktext|lang=zh-hant|阝}} [[Radical 170|'mound', 'hill']], a graphical variant of {{linktext|lang=zh|阜}}—with the phonetic components {{zhi|t=今|p=jīn}} (and the added semantic component {{zhi|t=云|p=yún|l=cloud}}) and {{zhi|t=昜|p=yáng}}.<ref name="Zidian">{{cite dictionary |script-title=zh:汉语大字典 |trans-title=Hanyu Da Zidian |title-link=Hanyu Da Zidian |publisher=Hubei cishu chubanshe |place=Chengdu |date=1986–1989 |isbn=7-80543-001-2 |language=zh}}</ref>{{rp|4138, 4114}} In the latter, {{zhi|t=昜|p=yáng|l=bright}} features {{zhi|t=日|l=the Sun}} + {{zhi|t=示}} + {{zhi|t=彡|l=sunbeam}}.<ref name=Zidian />{{rp|4144, 1499}}

Compare these Middle Chinese and Old Chinese{{efn|With an asterisk, to denote unattested forms.}} reconstructions of {{zhi|p=yīn|t=陰}} and {{zhi|p=yáng|t=陽}}:
* {{transliteration|ltc|ˑiəm}} < {{transliteration|och|*ˑiəm}} and {{transliteration|ltc|iang}} < {{transliteration|och|*diang}} ([[Bernhard Karlgren]])<ref>Bernhard Karlgren, ''Grammata Serica Recensa'', Museum of Far Eastern Antiquities, 1957, 173, 188.</ref>
** {{transliteration|ltc|ʔjəm}} and {{transliteration|och|*raŋ}} ([[Li Fang-Kuei]])<ref>Li, Fang-Kuei, "Studies on Archaic Chinese", translated by Gilbert L. Mattos, ''Monumenta Serica'' 31, 1974:219–287.</ref>
* {{transliteration|ltc|ʔ(r)jum}} and {{transliteration|och|*ljang}} ([[William H. Baxter]])<ref>William H. Baxter, ''A Handbook of Old Chinese Phonology'', Mouton de Gruyter ,1992.</ref>
* {{transliteration|ltc|ʔjəm}} < {{transliteration|och|*ʔəm}} and {{transliteration|ltc|jiaŋ}} < {{transliteration|och|*laŋ}} (Axel Schuessler)<ref>Schuessler, Axel, ''ABC Etymological Dictionary of Old Chinese'', [[University of Hawaii Press]], 2007, 558, 572.</ref>
* {{transliteration|ltc|im}} < {{transliteration|och|*qrum}} and {{transliteration|ltc|yang}} < {{transliteration|och|*laŋ}} ([[William H. Baxter]] and [[Laurent Sagart]])<ref>Baxter & Sagart (2014), pp. 326–378.</ref>

Schuessler gives probable [[Sino-Tibetan]] etymologies for both Chinese words.

{{transliteration|ltc|yin}} < {{transliteration|och|*ʔəm}} compares with [[Burmese language|Burmese]] {{transliteration|my|ʔum<sup>C</sup>}} 'overcast', 'cloudy', [[Adi language|Adi]] {{transliteration|adi|muk-jum}} 'shade', and [[Lepcha language|Lepcha]] {{transliteration|lep|so'yǔm}} 'shade'; it is probably cognate with Chinese {{transliteration|zh|àn}} < {{transliteration|och|*ʔə̂mʔ}} {{zhi|c=黯|l=dim', 'gloomy'}} and {{transliteration|zh|qīn}} < {{transliteration|och|*khəm}} {{zhi|t=衾|l=blanket}}.

{{transliteration|ltc|yang}} < {{transliteration|och|*laŋ}} compares with Lepcha ''a-lóŋ'' 'reflecting light', Burmese ''laŋ<sup>B</sup>'' 'be bright' and ''ə-laŋ<sup>B</sup>'' 'light'; and is perhaps cognate with Chinese {{transliteration|zh|chāng}} < {{transliteration|och|*k-hlaŋ}} {{zhi|c=昌|l=prosperous', 'bright}} (compare [[Mainland Southeast Asia linguistic area|areal]] words like [[Tai languages|Tai]] ''plaŋ<sup>A1</sup>'' 'bright' & Proto-[[Viet-Muong]] ''hlaŋ<sup>B</sup>''). To this word-family, Unger also includes {{zhi|c=炳|p=bǐng}} < {{transliteration|och|*pl(j)aŋʔ}} 'bright';<ref>Ulrich Unger, Hao-ku : Sinologische Rundbriefe, 1986:34</ref> however Schuessler reconstructs {{zhi|c=炳|p=bǐng}}'s Old Chinese pronunciation as {{transliteration|och|*braŋʔ}} and includes it in an [[Austroasiatic]] word family, besides {{zhi|c=亮|p=liàng}} < {{transliteration|och|*raŋh}} {{zhi|c=爽|p=shuǎng}} < {{transliteration|och|*sraŋʔ}} 'twilight of dawn'; {{transliteration|zh|míng}} < {{transliteration|och|*mraŋ}} {{linktext|lang=zh|明}} 'bright', 'become light', 'enlighten'; owing to "the different OC initial consonant which seems to have no recognizable OC morphological function".<ref>Schuessler, Axel, ''ABC Etymological Dictionary of Old Chinese'', [[University of Hawaii Press]], 2007. pp. 168, 180, 558.</ref>