玄學

Chinese

		black; mysterious	learn; study; science learn; study; science; ‑ology
trad. (玄學)		玄	學
simp. (玄学)		玄	学

Etymology

“Xuanxue”

From the Six Dynasties (222-589).

“metaphysics”

Translation of metaphysics coined by Yan Fu.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): xuánxué

  (Zhuyin): ㄒㄩㄢˊ ㄒㄩㄝˊ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): jyun⁴ hok⁶
• Southern Min (Hokkien, POJ): hiân-ha̍k

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: xuánxué
    • Zhuyin: ㄒㄩㄢˊ ㄒㄩㄝˊ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: syuánsyué
    • Wade–Giles: hsüan²-hsüeh²
    • Yale: sywán-sywé
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: shyuanshyue
    • Palladius: сюаньсюэ (sjuanʹsjue)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ɕy̯ɛn³⁵ ɕy̯ɛ³⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: jyun⁴ hok⁶
    • Yale: yùhn hohk
    • Cantonese Pinyin: jyn⁴ hok⁹
    • Guangdong Romanization: yun⁴ hog⁶
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /jyːn²¹ hɔːk̚²/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: hiân-ha̍k
    • Tâi-lô: hiân-ha̍k
    • Phofsit Daibuun: hienhak
    • IPA (Zhangzhou): /hiɛn¹³⁻²² hak̚¹²¹/
    • IPA (Xiamen): /hiɛn²⁴⁻²² hak̚⁴/
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /hiɛn²⁴⁻²² hak̚²⁴/

Proper noun

玄學

1. Xuanxue; Dark Learning

Noun

玄學

1. metaphysics

   • 形而上學，亦稱玄學。 [MSC, trad.]
     形而上学，亦称玄学。 [MSC, simp.]

     From: 1937, 毛澤東 (Mao Zedong), 《矛盾論》 (On Contradiction), 《毛澤東選集》. English translation based on the Foreign Languages Press edition

     Xíng'érshàngxué, yì chēng xuánxué. [Pinyin]

     In China another name for metaphysics is xuánxué.

2. (by extension, neologism, Internet slang, humorous) misbelief that doing certain things will increase one's luck (especially one's luck in games with gacha mechanics); superstition

Synonyms

• (metaphysics): 形而上學／形而上学 (xíng'érshàngxué)

Descendants

Sino-Xenic (玄學):

• → Japanese: 玄学(げんがく) (gengaku)
• → Korean: 현학(玄學) (hyeonhak)
• → Vietnamese: huyền học (玄學)

Korean

Hanja in this term
玄	學

Noun

玄學 • (hyeonhak) (hangeul 현학)

1. Hanja form^? of 현학 (“deep complex theories”).