Names for Go in Other Languages
The accepted international name of the game of go comes from the Japanese. However, each of the cultures in which go originally flourished has its own name for the game:
- In Japanese: go (碁) or igo (囲碁, pronounced like the English word "ego")
- In Chinese: weiqi (圍棋, simplified 围棋, pronounced "way-chee", rising tone on both syllables, short vowels, especially the second syllable) = "surrounding boardgame"
- In Korean: baduk (바둑, pronounced "bah-dook") = "pebble boardgame"
- Alternative Western spelling: "Goe"
In Japanese, the character ki 棋 is also used to refer to go (and usually shogi as well, since the meaning of ki encompasses that board game) in compounds such as the following:
- kishi 棋士 (go professional)
- kiri 棋理 (go theory)
- kifu 棋譜 (go record)
- kifuu 棋風 (go style)
- kidou 棋道 (way of go)
- kiryoku 棋力 (go strength)
- kisei 棋聖 (go saint/sage)
- kisen 棋戦 (go tournament)
- kihaku 棋伯 (go earl, i.e. a high dan player)
- kikai 棋界 (go world)
- kika 棋家 (go player)
- kikyaku 棋客 (go player)
- ki-in 棋院 (go institute)
In contrast to go, which is used on its own and in a few compounds, ki (or gi) is never used on its own and is the nornal compound form (free and bound forms in linguistic terminology).
The term go appears in the following compounds:
- go-kaisho 碁会所 (go parlor)
- go-dokoro 碁所 (medieval go rank)
- go-uchi 碁打ち (go player)
- go-ishi 碁石 (go stones)
- goban 碁盤 (go board)
- gokeishi 碁罫紙 (game record paper)
- gokei 碁形 (position)
The character go 碁 also exists in Chinese (the Chinese name of the Taiwan-based "Acer" company, 宏碁, uses the character), but according to a native speaker informant:
- It is not a common character in our society. This character was not in the pre-defined 13,000 Chinese character set in the computer before Acer became famous. I think most people do not know this character is actually the same as 棋. So you're right that it is not used as a game of go any more. We use 棋 rather than 碁 for the game of go. The meaning of this character is changed as well to 'a solid foundation', so when people see the Chinese name of Acer, I think nobody links the name with the game."
Someone please insert a list of Chinese compounds using the qi/棋 character here. John F provides the following list of Chinese words for go player:
- 棋工 qigong
- 棋家 qijia
- 棋客 qike
- 棋人 qiren
- 棋師 qishi
- 棋手 qishou
BenKovitz: What do these mean? (I'm just learning Chinese.) 棋工 = go skill? 棋家 = go aficionado or go house? 棋人 = go player? 棋師 = go master?
Kanex: I am a native speaker. 棋手is the most proper term for go player. Though I think it maybe a modern one. 棋師is still acceptable. Other terms are obsolete now.
Gaius: Isn't qigong a form of the Chinese fighting sport taichi?
Hikaru79: If you go to www.3dgo.org you can see three calligraphy images for the respective characters for Igo, Wei'qi, and Baduk. (Thanks Hikaru, those are awesome ^_^ -- BrendenT)
HolIgor: Russians use sometimes the term Oblavnye shashki which would translate as the encircling (or hunting) checkers.
Rich: Holigor - I play on KGS as Shashka - is it precisely the same word for both "checker" and "sabre" in Russian, or does one of the words use "shch" in place of "sh"?
HolIgor: No "shch". But the game checker is in plural "shashki", one "shashka" stands for a checker-man and alternatively for a kind of sabre Russian kazaks used. Another meaning is a stick of explosives, a small bomb.
Thouis: What are the Chinese (and Korean) translations of "go parlor"?
See also
Contributors: