Names for Go in Other Languages
Keywords: Culture & History
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 addition, Ing Chang-Ki proposed the seldom-used alternative spelling goe.
Calligraphic images of the characters for Igo, Wei'qi, and Baduk can be found here.
- Russian: the term Oblavnye shashki is sometimes used, which would translate as the encircling (or hunting) checkers.
- Thai: หมากล้อม (maak lom), meaning surrounding chess.
Poetic names
- Shou tan (Chinese) or Shudan (Japanese) -- hand talk 手談
- Ranka -- rotted axe-handle 爛柯
- Tendo -- heavenly way 天道 Tendō
- Uro -- crows and herons 烏鷺
- Hoen -- squares and circles 方円 Hōen