taiji · noun — the absolute; the condition as it existed before the creation of the world. It carries an Arena rating of 1652, earned across 5 head-to-head judged battles.
Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, taiji ranks #3,417 of 17,162 for Most Elegant Words, #3,846 of 17,205 for The Improbable, #3,901 of 17,146 for Most Storied Words, #4,068 of 17,163 for Most Beautiful Words.
Why “taiji” is a great word
The supreme ultimate principle or state of undifferentiated wholeness from which yin and yang arise. From the Hanyu Pinyin romanization of Mandarin 太極 (tàijí), from 太 (tài, "great, supreme") and 極 (jí, "ultimate, extreme, pole"). Unlike *wuji* (the formless void that precedes all polarity) or *yin-yang* (the manifest, dynamic forces already in tension), *taiji* is the pregnant moment of potential that contains all opposites in perfect, balanced unity. It is the still point at the center of a turning fan, the unbroken surface of water before the first ripple, and the singular circle that holds both halves before they split—the quiet hum of original unity from which the world begins to divide.
❧ Essay by Lexicurio’s AI · definition, etymology & citations from published sources
Etymology
From the Hanyu Pinyin romanization of Mandarin 太極／太极 (tàijí). Doublet of taegeuk.
noun
- The absolute; the condition as it existed before the creation of the world.
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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