Is it true that in Chinese the word “crisis” consists of hieroglyphs “danger” and “opportunity”?

On the Internet, you can often find a motivating story about the Chinese word “crisis”, which calls for a look at difficult times with optimism. We checked how much such etymology is true.

A bright rhetorical formula with supposedly Chinese roots is used in various situations: from motivational publications in social networks to materials With the advice of a psychologist on how to cope with a difficult situation. When in 2020 the world encountered coronavirus, who also came from China, the phrase about the Chinese hieroglyph "Crisis" simply could not help but mention. For example, with the statement “as you know, the word“ crisis ”in Chinese is designated by the hieroglyphs“ danger ”and“ possibility ”” begins article In the magazine "Business Petersburg" about a decrease in the flow of tourists from the Middle Kingdom. History about this word Uses In his article on the prospects of development in the context of Pandemia and Gleb Ivashentsov, the former ambassador of Russia in Myanmar and Korea, vice president of the Russian Council for International Affairs.

An enthusiastic story about the Chinese word with the meaning of “Crisis” became popular thanks to US President John Kennedy. A year and a half before his election during a speech in Indianapolis, a politician said: “The word“ crisis ”written in Chinese consists of two hieroglyphs:“ danger ”and“ possibility ”. Subsequently, other American politicians began to use this vivid phrase: for example, an ex-missionary Condoliza Rice And the former vice president Albert Mountains.

Benjamin Zimmer became interested in the history of this phrase, an American linguist and lexicographer, who collaborated in different years with the publishing house of Oxford University, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Magazine and The Atlantic. In his article, he reportsthat Kennedy did not come up with such a “interpretation” of the Chinese word “crisis”. It appeared at least 20 years before in the magazine for missionaries going to China. Two years later, the expression was used in her article by the then popular journalist Dorothy Thompson, and in 1952 he was mentioned by Secretary of State John Dalles, an older brother famous Each CIA director of the CIA director.

From a philological point of view, the Chinese word “crisis” (危机, “Weissi”) in detail Disassembled In his essay, professor at the University of Pennsylvania Viktor Mair. As the scientist explains, this word really consists of two hieroglyphs: 危 (“vay”) and 机 (“ji”). The first of them really means “dangerous, unreliable”, but the second is much more meaningful. According to Mair, the most accurate translation of 机 (“ji”) is a “point of change, a decisive moment”. That is, in the Chinese language the literal meaning of the word “crisis” is “a dangerous moment when everything starts to go differently, awake”. In Chinese, “Opportunity”-机会 (“Jihway”); The hieroglyph 机 (“ji”) does not have such a meaning into this word enters this word, which could mislead people. “Crisis - Not The moment when someone is looking for advantages and benefits! " - concludes Mair.

Hun from Chicago University claimsthat the word 危机 ("Weisy") in the Chinese language did not mean "crisis" for quite some time. The professor agrees with colleagues that the hieroglyph 机 (“Ji”) has many meanings, including “Opportunity” and “Danger”. “When in the III century the Chinese began to use the word 危机 (" Weisy "), they simply had in mind the danger, this meaning was emphasized by both hieroglyphs," Hong claims.

Aleksey Maslov, professor of the School of Oriental Studies of the Higher School of Economics and the acting director of the Institute of the Far East of the Russian Academy of Sciences, is in solidarity with American Chinese. Based on old Chinese texts, he claimsthat initially 机 (“ji”) is a “mechanism”, “spring”. Maslov suggests: "Most likely, the earliest meaning is the trigger of a self -arrow or crossbow." At the same time, the scientist emphasizes that the “convenient moment, case” is one of the “non -combat and late meanings” of this hieroglyph, and considers the expression “trigger to danger” to the most accurate literal translation for the word “crisis” (危机, “Weisi”).

The performance of philologists voiced above could question the performance by the chairman of the PRC Xi Jinping. During the inspection trip along the province of Zhejiang, shortly after the beginning of the coronavirus crisis, the Chinese leader He said The fact that "danger and opportunity will always coexist - it is overcoming the danger that the opportunity arises." Experts from the Department of Oriental Studies and Africanism of the Higher School of Economics in St. Petersburg interviewed by us explained that in the statement of Xi Jinping contains "a very characteristic of the Chinese language, beaten the words, but this does not mean at all that the hieroglyphs in the word 危机 (" crisis ") now mean" danger "and" possibility "himself" asserted). Scientists suggested that “a replicated idea fell on the heart of the Chinese, they appropriated it and are happy to repeat”, but emphasized that this fact does not change morphemes, of which the word “crisis” consists, and their main meanings.

We thank the senior teacher of the Department of Oriental Studies and Africanism to the Higher School of Economics in St. Petersburg Ekaterina Starikova For help in preparing the material.

Most of the untruth

What do our verdicts mean?

Read on the topic:

1. http://itre.cis.upenn.edu/~myl/languagelog/archives/004343.html
2. https://www.studychinese.ru/articles/4/186/
3. http://pinyin.info/chinese/crisis.html
4. https://amaslov.me/ru/blog/danger-opportunity/
5. https://www.papahuhu.com/archive/202005035636/