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Chapter Text

~* Glossary *~

... to the best of my ability! I am not Chinese and I have never had a single Mandarin lesson — please set me straight if I've misunderstood anything, or you have more insight. There are a couple of non-Mandarin words peppered in there as well!

Also note this, from Quora: "People often think of single Chinese symbols such as 精 as words, but that's not entirely accurate. A single symbol, known as a 字 (zi), is only a component of a 词 (ci), which has the real meaning. For example, 精神 means your state of mind, 精子 means sperm, and 妖精 means demon."

See Chapter 2 for sources and more notes.

*As of Jan 2024, I've started the process of updating with pinyin tones, too. Some are and some aren't, sorry, there's no rhyme or reason to that!

1-3

Yi 一

Er 二

Sān 三

A-F

A- 阿: Affectionate, familiar prefix for a pet name / nickname / familial address. See: A-Xian, A-Cheng, A-Yuan, A-Die, A-Niang, etc.

A-Die 阿爹: "Father," formal yet familiar. "Die" is uncommon in modern language. It may have entered Mandarin from another dialect. I use it because Wen Yuan uses it, and I think maybe I hear Jiang Cheng use it for his father. ***NOTE: Somewhere, at some point, I read a Chinese-speaker's opinion that 'A-Die' sounds very old-fashioned and fancy to their ears, equivalent to our ears like an English prince in a historical drama saying a posh "Faaatha." I have no idea how common that feeling is to Chinese-speakers, but it made me chuckle.

A-Niang 阿: "Mom," familiar and mid-level formal? I think "Māmā 妈妈" is the least formal way to say mom. This is what I hear Jiang Cheng and Jiang Yanli call their mother.

Aiya 哎呀: also "Aiyo," a versatile exclamation that I would roughly translate as "oh my" to sum up. According to wayvision: "哎呀 has many meanings, depending on the context; it can mean oops, oh damn, ah, oh, my god, hey, etc."

Bàba 爸爸: "dad" - "Baba" is a way to address someone as "Dad" or "Daddy" instead of "Father."

Báiháo白毫: the dot Jin clan cultivators wear on their foreheads. Originating in South Asia but spreading widely across Asia via Buddhism, this is a circular dot drawn over the third eye as an auspicious mark, associated with Buddhism in China. 

Bǎimù柏木: Chinese weeping cypress, native to central China. This appears in the name Bǎimùzhèn 柏木鎮, Cypress Wood Town, outside the great cypress forest I headcanon at the center of the Great Cultivation Lands.

Chéngshì 城市: "walled city" / castle — Cheng is city, shi is wall; there is a ruling palace inside, too. In English, castles are complexes with a palace inside a wall (I didn't understand the different between castles and palaces for the longest time; thought they were the same, and thought only royalty lived in castles). 

Da-ge 大哥: “first eldest brother” — familiar term for older brother or close older friend who is the eldest in the group (ex: what Jin Guangyao, Lan Xichen, and Nie Huaisang call Nie Mingjue)

Da-jiu 大舅: eldest maternal uncle. All of maternal uncles are "jiu," even if they were older than your mother (not the case, with paternal~). If you number them based on their ages in relation to each other, they are da-jiu, er-jiu, down the line to "youngest" xiao-jiu. Jin Ling calls Jiang Cheng "Jiu-jiu" because he is the only uncle in the line, but if he were to address WWX as "Uncle," they would technically be Yi-Jiu (WWX) and Er-Jiu (JC, who in most universes would absolutely hate that).

Da-shi-xiong 大学兄: "first sect brother" — Wei Wuxian is da-shi-xiong to the boys at Lotus Pier, as the "top disciple" who is eldest, best, and also of the same generation. As of 7/21/24, this term hasn't been properly used in my fics and needs updating across several AUs (this term was added after clarification from friends the_gaping_plot_hole and Dark_Falcon! thank youuu)

Dantian 丹田: "elixir field / cinnabar field" — three physical or metaphysical spaces in the body, upper, middle, and lower, that are believed to be the fields where energies circulate and can be cultivated for vitality, longevity, and magic. The MDZS donghua animates the Golden Core dwelling in a dantian at the center of the abdomen (could be middle or couple be lower, depending on the tradition?). The center of the abdomen is connected to every organ; storing energy here allows you to use 'Internal Alchemy' to nourish and strengthen every aspect of your body. This concept is complex! Read more here.

Dao 道: often spelled 'tao,' this indigenous religion/philosophy (Taoism / Dao Jiao 道教) is difficult to define in English, especially as an outsider to the culture like myself. It's often translated literally as 'The Way' or, more descriptively, as 'the natural flow/order of the universe.' Everyone and everything has its own dao, too (see The Parable of the Monk and the Scorpion). If you're not Chinese, I encourage you to look up what Chinese Daoists say about it, not just Wikipedia or some non-Chinese scholar's interpretation! Compare a few different definitions and translations of the Tao Te Ching / Dao De Jing to get a fuller picture, since English and Mandarin are so different.

Di-di 弟: little brother, used as "di-di" or as a suffix

Dízi 笛子: transverse flute (Wei Wuxian's instrument)

Dònghuà 动画: the Chinese word for animated features. Not in existence in the ancient MDZS verse, but I am constantly referencing this in notes and metadata.

Druk འབྲུག (Tibetan): "Thunder Dragon" in cultures across Himalaya

Er 二: two, or second — comes up in addressing people, such as "Lan Er-Gongzi" for Lan Wangji (since he is the second-born Lan heir, or Lan gongzi), and "Er-ge" for Lan Xichen by Jin Guangyao (as he is the second eldest 'sworn brother' in the Venerable Triad; Nie Haisang also addresses him this way, since his elder brother Nie Mingjue is Lan Xichen's 'sworn brother')

Er-ge 二哥: “second brother” — familiar term for a brother or close friend who is older than you and is second-oldest in the group (ex: what Jin Guangyao and Nie Huaisang call Lan Xichen)

Erhu 二胡: two-stringed instrument played with a bow, with a distinct, almost mournful sound.

Fènghuáng 鳳凰: heavenly/elemental mythical bird that roughly translates to "phoenix." Unlike the Western Phoenix in many ways, but there are crossovers. Mainly, it is a mythical, elemental bird that reappears or resurrects. Fenghuang is thought to disappear in dark, un-heavenly times and then reappear when better times have returned (perhaps read as an omen for a new, just leader, for example).

Fótuó 佛陀: Chinese name for 'the Buddha' (shortened to Fo in more modern times). It's a transliteration of the Pali word 'Buddha,' which means 'the enlightened one' / 'the knower.' 'Buddha' was a title given to the man Siddhartha Gautama, a Himalayan prince (what is now Nepal) who traveled to seek enlightenment (in what is now India). Buddhism traveled to what is now China around 200BC, and it took another hundred years for it to spread. I'm writing 'earlier' than this — however, this is a world with magic and flight by sword, so ideas, goods, and technologies can spread faster in their world.

Fú 符: divine token/martial talisman. Broadly, fu can appear as divine/magical tokens in different materials (paper, silk metal). Fu can be instructions for deities and spirits, symbols for exorcism, recipes to treat ailments, and more. Inscribed with fulu (see below), these tokens have different actions. For the 'martial talisman' use: translated by the English as "tallies" (why not just call them fu???), fu were special, two-piece military tokens granted to important officers for authority or identification. They were often shaped as tigers (hu虎) in certain periods, too, hence Wei Wuxian's Yin Hufu (see below). Hufu虎符 'tiger tallies' were also assigned to high-ranking officers at palaces, or offered to guests for special clearance. 

Fúlù 符箓: Daoist magic symbols and incantations / 'talismanic script.' Fulu are written or painted on língfú. Fu can be instructions for deities and spirits, symbols for exorcism, recipes to treat ailments, and more. Lu is a like registry for Daoist priests.

Fùqīn 父亲: Father, formal and courtly. I hear Jin Zixuan use it for his father.

G-Q

Gege 哥: older brother, used as "ge-ge" or appearing as a suffix. Ge-ge can be for friends (like "bro?"), or can be lovers (flirty "bro??"). Many contexts here that I don't understand super well as an English-speaker, so I avoid using ge-ge in order to avoid mis-using it!

Gōngfu 功夫: Westernized as "Kung Fu," this is the path of true mastery in something. It is not exclusive or martial arts (wǔshù), or a particular style of Chinese martial art.

Gōngzhǔ 公主: princess, heiress - also used as an honorific suffix for a younger noblewomen or gentry. Donghua canon doesn't use 'guniang' (lady) or 'gongzhu' as far as I can tell, but in my worldbuilding, Jiang Yanli would be a gōngzhǔ. I don't build a world where there is only one family that gets these titles because of imperialism (that's what the Wen WANT and I am not giving it to them!).

Gōngzi 公子: heir, noblemen, prince - also used as an honorific suffix for a younger noblemen or gentry. Chinese ao3 user wayvision says: "in ancient China, it was basic respect to call a young man 'young master.'" However, I (moonlitten) am unclear on whether this ever applies to common folk (but my hunch is ~*no*~). When used in an official title, such as "Lan-Gongzi" or "Lan-Er Gongzi," it can take on the meaning of heir to the head of the household / clan (i.e. there are many Lan men who could be politely addressed as "Gongzi," but there is only one "Lan-Er Gongzi" per generation).     ****NOTE: I often use the words "prince" and "heir" synonymously with gongzi in my work. We think of princes as being only the one true king's son, but in ancient times, there were many kings and princes of smaller kingdoms, all across the world. The word 'prince' comes from Roman "princep," of which there were loads and loads around the Mediterranean. In the British Isles, there were *many* kings and princes until the 10th century (which is honestly pretty modern, considering the time scale!). So, these rich, powerful, ruling clans' male heirs are what English-speakers would have called princes in antiquity.

Gui 鬼: 'ghost.' Gui is not how Westerners view 'ghosts,' but the differences are a lot to explain (and I'm not qualified either). It's more like 'restless spirit,' maybe. English translations in the donghua alternate between "ghost," "corpse," "fierce ghost," and "fierce corpse." In researching the novel's uses, I've found “fierce cadavers” (xiongshi), an MXTX original idea crossing traditional jiangshi and 'zombies' (sangshi). BUT, the monsters are apparently re-named “running cadavers” (zoushi) in the donghua. So, this is a lot, and I'm not an expert in folklore or Mandarin. I use ghost, corpse, and zombie interchangeably in my writing. "Demons" are something else (see "mo" below). If you're curious, check the next chapter's folklore sources!

Guniang 姑娘: noun or honorific for a younger noblewoman or female gentry; *roughly* the female equivalent of gongzi (one website said 'gongzhu' but didn't offer characters or tones, and I spent waaayyy too long reading about completely different words on the internet trying to find the right one and couldn't! "Boar" showed up the most lol)   ***7/2024 update: Dark_Falcon clarified the tones for gongzhu as 'heiress!' It's gōngzhǔ公主. See above.

Guqin 古琴: ancient qin. Lan Wangji’s stringed instrument as we would call it in modern language. Often translated to "zither" (a Germanic/Latin word based on a European instrument). Originally called qin, its seven strings produce the same range of tones as the larger, 21-stringed, more modern guzheng, and is traditionally regarded as an instrument of great subtlety. It's also very difficult to learn. Throughout history, this instrument has become intertwined with philosophy and spirituality (which would take a deep dive on my part to try to explain respectfully, so here is a Chinese musician's source instead: Guqin and Chinese Philosophies. There is a Chinese version of this website as well!)  ***2024 update: thanks to the_gaping_plot_hole, I learned that "gu" means "ancient"... so I need to update all my works. They would have just called it "qin.")

Hànxuèmǎ 汗血馬: 'blood-sweating horse,' a name from antiquity for the 'Heavenly Horses' of Ferghana that Emperor Wu painstakingly brought to China (forming what would become the Silk Road!) around 100BCE. They were much taller and longer-limbed than the indigenous ponies of Mongolia and East Asia, so they were a game-changer. In my AUs, since magic exists, this horse acquisition happened 'earlier,' toward the start of the AU's equivalent of the Warring States period (500BCE-200BCE).

Haole 好了: roughly equivalent to "Good, then" or "It's alright" or "Now now" (ex: Jiang Yanli uses it when her brothers are spatting). I just loved the sound of this phrase in the donghua, and peppering it into my fics keeps our imaginations grounded in the fact that these characters are actually *not* speaking English.

Hóng 虹: rainbow, or the two-headed dragon of rainbows, or red (as in hong dou).

Hóngdou 红豆: adzuki / red mung bean. The bean in sweet red bean paste.

Huangjiu 黄酒: the original distilled liquor of China. Stronger than just jiu 酒 (wine) at up to 65% alcohol. I've seen folks online say Wei Wuxian drinks baijiu, but from what I can tell, baijiu is a later invention than the era I'm basing my fics off of (Warring States-ish). Liquor is animated as clear in the donghua, which would align more with baijiu (huangjiu ranges from yellow to rust-colored), which would align with the Tang Dynasty, as may have been the intention for the donghua's era (Ah well. I don't buy a Tang dynasty when there literally *is no Tang dynasty* anywhere around them).

Hufu 虎符: hu "tiger"; fu "talisman" (see Fu符 above). As in Yin Hufu, interpreted in English as 'Yin Tiger Tally' or 'Stygian Amulet.' In the Chinese militaries of the past, fu (which the English translated as "tally" from fox-hunting—why not just call them fu??) were special, two-piece tokens granted to important officers for authority or identification. They were often shaped as tigers (hu) in certain periods, too. Hufu were also assigned to high-ranking officers at palaces or offered to guests for special clearance. In my writing, originally, I kept ‘amulet’ from “Stygian Amulet” for clarity over—but used ‘yin tiger’ to be more faithful to original ('Stygian' is from Greek myth, referring to the River Styx—cool choice, but as a Westerner, I feel better choosing the Chinese words when I can). I refer to hufu as "martial amulets" for ongoing clarity in the text.

Hui Shu Hua 灰树花: hen-of-the-woods mushroom / maitake mushroom. Prized in East Asia as powerful medicine.

Jie 姐: big sister, elder sister; used as "jie-jie" or as a suffix. Jiang Cheng calls Yanli "Jie-jie," Wei Wuxian calls her "Shi-jie." (see S below for shi-jie / shi-di / etc.)

Jinbu 禁步: dangling ornament of jade and tassels; a type of yaopei (see "Yaopei腰佩" below)

Jiù 舅: maternal uncle. All of them are "jiu," even if they were older than your mother (not the case, with paternal~). If you number them based on their ages in relation to each other, they are da-jiu, er-jiu, down the line to youngest xiao("small")-jiu. Jin Ling calls Jiang Cheng "Jiu-jiu" because he is the only uncle in the line.

Jūn 君: honorable suffix often translated to "lord," but that's not quite it. From what I can tell, "zun" is more accurately "lord" because it's based on one's status, whereas "jun" is an elevation of status based on moral fiber. When I translate Hanguang-jun, I call him "the Light-Bearer" to convey how the title sort of casts him like a living saint, a singular individual in the land. Instead of sounding anything like 'Lord Byron.' You'll notice that monk-like LWJ and LXC are titled with "jun," while "zun" is used for others.

Kòutóu 叩头: a reverent, kneeling bow of full prostration, where one touches their head to the ground. Koutou may have different forms depending on who one is bowing to (multiple koutou, for example). The term "kowtow" has been exoticised and misused by Western English-speakers, so I've been careful about using it and am only using the pinyin spelling.

Kham: this not a Chinese word. This is the indigenous Tibetan word for the southeastern region of Pö (Tibet), which was a borderland between Tibet and China until 1949 but is now called 'Sichuan.' The people of Kham are 'Khampa.'

Lǎotóng 老同: "old same," a special sworn sisterhood much like marriage. They were pledges of love and kindred spirited-ness that lasted for life, and excluded any other sworn sisterhoods.

Laozu 老子: "Old Master," or "Patriarch" in the donghua / fandoms (it took this show's use of 'Yiling Laozu' to make me realize that the Tao Te Ching's author's NAME was not "Lao Tzu"..... smh)

Lapsang souchong 立山小種: black tea smoke-dried over pinewood fire.

Lǐ 里: a unit of distance roughly the length of a village, and also measured by how hard it is to get there. I need to update my lazy use of 'miles,' because when I first started writing, li felt a little complex to wrap my mind around.

Língfú 灵符: paper talismans / sutras / magical notes. Translated as "talismans" in the MDZS-verse (and probably elsewhere, but I'm not well-read/watched in the wuxia department), these appear as magical items made from paper and ink or blood. Sometimes, these materialize magically, and other times, it's clear they're physical papers that have been inscribed with fúlù (see above). 

Lóng 龙: heavenly/elemental mythical creature that *very roughly* translates to “dragon” (also spelled loong and lung), but European dragons and lóng are extremely different in form AND function.

Mei 妹: little sister; younger sister. Often used as a relational suffix like ge, di, xiong, etc.

Ming 名: given name, or 'baby' name — this is the name your family gives you, and in MDZS's ancient/antiquity context, using it is a sign of intimacy. A courtesy name (zi 字) was given when you came of age; using that is 'courteous' for someone you aren't close to. This is why Wangxian's use of "Wei Ying" and "Lan Zhan" is so meaningful. Especially in Lan Wangji's case; literally no one else calls him 'Lan Zhan'. A senior or elder may also use ming to belittle or scold an adult (ex: in the donghua, Jin Guanshang calls Wei Wuxian "Wei Ying" when WWX shows up at Nevernight. Once I understood ming/zi better, this comes off as super insulting, given the context). MXTX seems to have been loose with who gets zi 字 and when people get them.

Mó 魔 — "demon." Same mo as "modao." Not to be confused with a gui, yao, or mogui. Also literally means "sorcery" and can harshly imply "taboo / unorthodox" in the way that 'wicked' or 'evil' would in English. 

Móguǐ 魔鬼: a very powerful evil dead creature. See Chapter 2 for distinctions between mo, gui, yao, and mogui.

Pípá 琵琶: plucked, stringed lute with four strings and a bright sound.

Pö བོ (Tibetan)— Also spelled "Bhoe" and "Bhöd," this is the indigenous Tibetan language's word for 'Tibet.' 

Pushpak vimana पुष्पक विमान (Sanskrit)— "Chariot Palace," the flying chariots of South Asian myth. 

Qì 極: "air," breath of life, spiritual energy — which, in the MDZS universe, cultivators can channel in a magical practice. AO3 user wayvision says: It's present in everything from physical objects, such as your phone, to immaterial aspects of the world, like light, heat, and emotion. Literally means "vapor," "air," or "breath," the word itself is often translated as "vital energy" and "vital force."

Qiánbèi 前辈: formal, unisex honorific for someone senior — literally translated as "in front generation," loosely translated as "Senior" (ex: appears in the donghua as "Senior Wei")

Qílín 麒麟: heavenly/elemental mythical creature throughout East Asia, often (poorly) translated in English to “unicorn.” 

Qín 琴: Lan Wangji’s stringed instrument as we would call it in modern language. Often translated to "zither" (a Germanic/Latin word based on a European instrument), and often incorrectly called a guqin in an ancient context (which I have done throughout and need to fix). Its seven strings produce the same range of tones as the larger, 21-stringed, more modern guzheng, and is traditionally regarded as an instrument of great subtlety. It's also very difficult to learn. Throughout history, this instrument has become intertwined with philosophy and spirituality (which would take a deep dive on my part to try to explain respectfully, so here is a Chinese musician's source instead: Guqin and Chinese Philosophies. There is a Chinese version of this website as well!) **2024 update: I learned that "gu" means "ancient"... so I need to update all my works to correct LWJ's instrument from "guqin" to "qin." They would have just called it a "qin")

R-Z

Rúqún 襦裙: a pleated, wraparound skirt, paired with an upper garment. This item of clothing was once unisex, but many styles developed over time, and many of those are gendered since the Han era. 

Shén 神: literally 'spirit.' Also, the name for the entire spiritual/magical/religious worldview of much of indigenous China, before Daoism. But even in Daosim, shen exists inside people — it's an energy present in all of us (like qi) and an integral part of Daoism. So: you can practice/believe in Shen; you have shen inside you; and there are shen entities you must respect. As an animistic worldview, Shen practitioners see spirits in nature (of mountains, rivers, animals). These spirits are like deities, so shen can be translated to "god" in a polytheistic sense (i.e. Tu-Er Shen, "the Rabbit God"). 

Shi-di 学弟: "younger school/sect brother;" younger male schoolmate; a senior disciple's way of addressing their male junior (ex. Jiang Cheng and the other Lotus Pier boys are Wei Wuxian's shi-di; Wei Wuxian would be their shi-zhang [even though Jiang Cheng never calls him that for conflicting status reasons])

Shi-jie 学姐: "big school/sect sister"; older female schoolmate; a junior disciple's way of addressing their female senior. Respectful, but not the most formal possibility. This is exclusively how Wei Wuxian addresses Jiang Yanli, instead of the way a blood brother would use 'Jie-jie' or a nickname (but she refers to him like family, with the nickname 'A-Xian.' We can infer that Wei Wuxian doesn't feel welcome to address her like blood because of Yu Ziyuan).

Shi-xiong 学兄: "school/sect brother;" male schoolmate of roughly the same age

Shi-zhang 学长: "eldest sect brother;" respectful term for the eldest male schoolmate; a junior disciple's way of respectfully addressing their male senior. Ge means big brother, but zhang seems to have an elevated connotation (hence LWJ calling LXC "xiong-zhang").

Shū-shu 叔: paternal uncle, younger than your father (older would be bo-bo)

Shūfu 叔父: paternal uncle, younger than your father, but interestingly MXTX chose to use this one way of saying it, with the fu that can also mean "foster father/adoptive father." Shengfu is "biological father," for example.

Tǔlóu 土楼: "earthen buildings," specifically Fujian. These are the Hakka community's style of villages in the southeastern mountains, built between the 12th and 20th centuries. Large, enclosed, and fortified, they protect central life inside.   **I've described and explored larger, magically enhanced versions of them in Bridge from Mud to Sky, but honestly, doing an image search is recommended, they're just incredible. 

Vajra वज्र: Sanskrit, not Mandarin. 'Diamond thunderbolt,' this is a scepter symbolizing the clarity and indestructibility of a diamond, and the power of a thunderbolt. It's used in rituals, but is often depicted and imagined as a magical weapon.

Wéiqí 圍棋: what English-speakers know as "go," one of if not *the* oldest board game still played on the planet. An immensely complex strategy game with simple rules, stones in black an white, and a grid board. 

Wǔshù 武术: what Westerners often refer to 'Kung Fu"/gongfu (but gongfu is not exclusive to martial arts - gonfu is anything achieved in mastery). Wǔshù also has a competitive sport connotation, so I may be using it incorrectly, or semi-incorrectly. But 'martial arts' is so broad, and I wanted to find a Chinese word for it (I may indeed have failed lol)

Xiānsheng 先生: respectful way to address a male teacher, or another elder male of high status. Used in canon to address Lan Qiren.   *Melbourne Asia Review says: "The Contemporary Chinese Dictionary... one of the most used dictionaries for schooling in mainland China, defines xiansheng as referring to (1) a teacher; (2) a male intellect, or a male adult with a certain social position; and (3) one's husband—largely gendered terms." (As of 7/21/24, this term hasn't been used in my fics and needs updating for LQR across several AUs)

Xiāo 箫: end-blown, vertical flute; Lan Xichen's instrument (my post-canon AU gives Lan Sizhui one as well). Sometimes called dòngxiāo.

Xiǎo 小: “small/young/little”. Often translated to 'Little' as a nickname. I use this in Courage Found for Wei Wuxian's unofficial zonghzu title.

Xiong 兄: “male, ”brother of similar age; a friendly suffix (Nie Huaisang and Wei Wuxian use this with each other almost right away at the Cloud Recesses, showing a fast friendship)

Xiong-zhang 兄长: elder brother, respectful; "Honorable Brother" (this is how LWJ refers to LXC in the donghua — I sometimes use the word "Brother," since that sounds very formal to contemporary English-speakers, but I may update now that I'm learning more)

Yāo 妖: an animal that has cultivated energy; a large, magical beast.

Yaopei 腰佩: "waist wear;" the ornaments worn on waist sashes. ex: the Jiang clarity bell and tassel; the Twin Jades' jade pendants with tassels (these are jinbu; see above)

Yīn-Yáng 阴阳: the two opposing and constantly transforming energies that make up the universe. They are central to Shen and Daoist dualism (which can be binary or nonbinary, depending on one's interpretation). Yin can become yang and vice versa. Chinese thought associates them with particular aspects - feminine/masculine, dark/light, passive/active - present in everything. Balancing them in the body is key to health. 

Yīnjiān 阴间 : "Yin Dimension" or "Land of Shade," from Chinese cosmology, this is one of many Chinese names for the Underworld, or realm of the dead.   *I was familiar with Dìyù (thanks Gentry Chau Vs. the Underworld, everyone seriously GO WATCH THAT SHOW), which literally translates to "Earth Prison" and is based off Buddhist Hell, Naraka (or in Japanese, Naraku. YES, NARAKU! IYKYK!). I am very very curious about ancient Shen and Daoist concepts around Death, but don't have time to research currently. I think for the MDZS universe, or at the very least for Wei Wuxian, thinking of Death as the Yin Dimension fits much better than endless torture chambers. 

Zhangbei 长辈: more familiar unisex honorific for a senior than "qianbei," such as an uncle, aunt, or close mentor. Literally translated as "long generation," loosely translated as "Elder" or "Senior" (this doesn't appear in the donghua as far as I know, but I wanted Lan Sizhui to have a more familiar way to refer to Wei Wuxian). Same "zhang" as "shi-zhang" and "xiong-zhang."

Zhanglao 长老: "high elder" / "esteemed elder." Same zhang as zhangbei and xiong-zhang, this term is specifically used for elders of status in a community, and specifically is often used for monks. I imagine it would have been a good title for Lan Qiren (BUT, I have been informed by both the_gaping_plot_hole and Dark_Falcon that canon calls him xiansheng, so I need to update my works to match!).

Zhǎozé Gōngzhū沼泽公猪: "Bog Boar." This is a nasty zombie creature I invented to take the Slaughter Tortoise's place in my Lotus Pier AU.

Zhiji 知己: "the one who knows/sees you"; zhi知 is a deep knowing and understanding; an intimate, soul-deep knowing, sort of like how we use the phrase "feeling seen." Not inherently romantic or sexual (though it often wassss), this was a deeply important personal-political relationship between men of different classes, especially in such a hierarchical, homo-social society as China was for much of history. A patron, and his man of service. The nobleman would "see" and "recognize" a diamond in the rough, so to speak, and cultivate and elevate that person to be his right-hand. It's complicated; read this to understand better.

Zhiyin 知音: “the one who understands your inner tune” — zhi知 is a deep knowing and understanding; an intimate, soul-deep knowing, sort of like how we use the phrase "feeling seen." Yin音 here means "tune" or "music." It originates from a Spring and Autumn story about a musician who's best friend, who could understand the emotion behind his music, passed away. This is perhaps most like the English term "twin flame" for the most intimate and mirrored relationship in your life, romantic or platonic. The person who truly gets you and resonates with you. Who can hear the melody of your heart. **Update: in 10/22 I read this, and it super validated my choice!

Zun 尊: honorable suffix often translated to "lord." From what I can tell, "Zun" is accurately "lord" because it's based on one's status, whereas "jun" has more moral connotations (which may explain why "zun" is used for Nie Mingjue and Jin Guangyao, while "jun" is used for the Twin Jades).

~*~

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Author Context

Important upfront! I am a White, half-Jewish, American Millennial with no Chinese family by blood. I have never lived in China. SO -- there must be many inaccuracies in my work! Don't take anything I say as authoritative, or a claim to something!

I'm here because I genuinely love and respect these characters and their cultures. I'm learning so much and improving my own IRL life from these research deep dives. All I have behind my writing AU's of ancient magical China is: gratitude, respect, and endless curiosity. Also, few of my best and closest friends are Cantonese-Americans, and we love talking about philosophy, magic, medicine, and family. I owe **a lot** to them.

Given that I highlight spirituality and religions that are not my own, it's worth noting that I was raised atheist, am now a semi-practicing animist, and have a chosen Hindu family. My direct relationships to Buddhism have been through living in Zen (Japanese) and Vajrayana (Tibetan) communities. My relationship to Daoism is recent, since 2021. I do not have a teacher, nor have I lived in community among Chinese Buddhists or Daoists.

Also informing my understanding of the world are indigenous Asian worldviews and Asian myth and fantasy as *lifelong* special interests of mine. As well as ethnobotany / anthropology / indigenous agriculture. All of which I pursued as independent study in grade school, and nonstop after graduating. Also not included are sources concerning my lifelong heart passion / special interest / spiritual connection to naturalism (Nature first, always).

Glossary Sources

Sweet reader wayvision created an in-depth, partial version of the glossary back in winter 2022. Mine's been updated a lot since then, and they helped me understand a lot more at the time. 

I have way too many sources to list, especially since a lot of them would be random commenta in a reddit thread, or one line in a dense paragraph of academic linguistic stuff. However, for understanding honorifics/relational names, these are three main sources:

farmerlan's guide to commonly used honorifics in mdzs

panickingduckling's 'naming in Chinese'

exiled rebel scanlations' dictionary of honorifics

hunxi-guilai's response on Chinese terms of uncles (yike)

And THIS is the super validating source I stumbled across in October 2022 on the meaning of zhiji versus zhiyin:

https://hunxi-guilai.tumblr.com/post/612161034673946624/all-right-guys-lets-have-a-conversation-about

Honestly hunxi-guilai has probably been the most illuminating for many topics not even cited here, just read all their stuff. pumpkinpaix is also great, though I haven't read as much of their stuff as hunxi-guilai

Name Sources

Zewu-jun and its meaning (I'll try to dig up some of the others I've read, but this one really sticks out for me)

Jiang Cheng's ming, zi, and title meanings

[oh dear... it's October 2024 and I'm JUST NOW seeing that Hanguang is a term, all its own. I always disliked the English "Light Bearing Lord" for a number of reasons, and adapted my interpretation as "Light-Bearer." But somehow, NOW, I see this?! by tamingwangxian on Tumblr, not at all a new post or new account?? How many times can one google something???? AHHHHH. anyway this is fine.]

Daoism, Culture Folklore, and Magical Sources

These are not organized or well-notated yet lol, but I'm including them here because a) I reference them a lot and b) you can too if you want to get nerdier.

• Daoist Worldview Sources

Dao De Jing by Laozu (AKA "Tao Te Ching")

I prefer the edition translated/interpreted by Feng Gaifu and Jane English. I have studied this book since fall of '21, but I have no authority over its meaning. Also how wild is it that most Americans think "Lao Zu" is the author's NAME?

Zhaungzi by Zhuang Zhou

These teachings are even harder for me to grasp than the Dao De Jing's (which I've had in my possession since I was 15, at which time I Did Not Get It at all and have since come to slightly begin to comprehend), but I've still tried. And failed. And tried a little more.

• Culture Sources

Gender in Chinese Philosophy

I've dabble-read a lot about this topic because gender is an ongoing interest of mine. A lot of my sources are literary historical fiction by Chinese authors, who illuminate gender in ways articles cannot. But this resource is really thorough and nuanced, and I especially appreciate the framing at the top, because in my experience, Americans don't understand Daoism's dualism, equating it to our own Abrahamic dualism when it is actually very different.

Also, there are a lot of hints toward different attitudes among the ancients particularly when you dig into origin stories, deities, and myth. Nuwa and Wangmo, of course. Then the lesser-known (at least in the West) Dark Lady, for example, and Feng Popo, who was a man but chose to transform into a woman. More on these changing attitudes toward gender/sex in the Daoist Sexual Practices below:

Daoist Sexual Practices (origins of 'dual cultivation!)

This is just a Wikipedia article. I need to do more reading, particular by the scholar Jolan Chang.

White and Beautiful: An Examination of Skin Whitening Practices and Female Empowerment in China (Yeung, 2015)

Colorism in ancient China (and contemporary China if you're interested, but it's historical context I'm citing)

Toying with Taboo: Daoist Magic, Homosexuality and the Story Behind “The Untamed”

"Stories about Daoist magic were actually banned in the early 1900s, even though they had been part of the Chinese imagination for hundreds of years." // "From Marginalized to the Mainstream"

Sword fingers 

LISTEN I searched for what to call sword fingers for THREE YEARS, making up "two qi-directive fingers" in the meantime, and only recently (3/31/25) managed to search just the right combination of words to find it. Sword fingers. Jiàn zhǐ 剑指. Lord have mercy why did it take me this long to find.

Rapid fire:

Clothing layers and their names

Hair and headwear

Guqin and Chinese Philosophies

Yaopei / jinbu waist wear meanings

Coming of age 

'Ancient Chinese Ranks and Titles'

((CW!)) Battle sacrifices and rituals in China ((CW!)) This scholarly article mentions an/or details every one of the darkest things humans do to each other and themselves, I stg, please proceed with caution. Slavery, human sacrifice, suicide, deadly systemic sexism and classim, forced sex work, cannibalism, just, omg. Not worth reading unless you need to learn about this for whatever reason, or want to be disturbed.

Holding fist positions and meanings. I cannot google-teach myself on this one at this juncture (or until I like, actually live in China for a while and am not writing entirely as an outsider as I am now), so I'm asking readers to just imagine that it's there plz

• Creatures and Spirits and Demons!

Kumaxell's description of Chinese supernatural creatures quotes Wei Wuxian.

China Underground has another outline of differences between corpse, ghoul, ghost, and demon (I honestly need to read a lot of them, because I get conflicting information).

Shyle's article in the MDZS fandom site has the clearest layout of 妖魔鬼怪, as well as some exploration into using "modao."

Quote from Shyle:

妖魔鬼怪 is described as all beings that cause mischief

妖(yao) - non-humans that have cultivated an energy and become a "being"

魔(mo) - humans that have cultivated an energy and become a "being"

鬼(gui) - dead humans that have cultivated an energy and become a "being"

怪(guai) - dead non-humans that have cultivated an energy and become a "being"

... Before Wei Wuxian was corrupted by the Tiger Seal, he was still himself, so by definition he wasn't a 魔. But after he had[sic] lost control, he became a 魔.

Speaking of 魔, here is a description of why I use "Modao" and not "guidao." I have other reasons too, mostly just because "guidao" does not appear in the donghua, but this article validates my choice.

Quote: I've seen people talk about how 邪魔歪道 should be translated. If 非主流 is a neutral way of saying "unorthodox", then 邪魔歪道 is a derogatory term of saying unorthodox, aka "crooked", "wrong", "evil". 邪魔歪道/邪门歪道 is a chinese idiom (成语) of negatively describing something unorthodox.

    I don't disagree with some translators translating it as "Demonic" instead of "unorthodox" since the word itself literally means demonic. Unorthodox is too kind a word to describe 邪门歪道. It's also how they describe Wei Wuxian's cultivation - 邪道(demonic path). Even Lan Wangji described it as such at one point.

Toying with Taboo: Daoist Magic, Homosexuality and the Story Behind “The Untamed”

Quote:

“fierce cadavers,” or xiongshi. Xiongshi is a neologism in the world of Modao Zushi, a cross between the traditional “catatonic cadaver” (jiangshi) and the Western zombie (sangshi), physically mobile but unconscious... same entities are called “running cadavers” (zoushi) in the animated version

oh boy (MORE to look into on supernatural beings and the magic of Golden Cores)

https://immortalmountain.wordpress.com/2016/11/23/yao-and-mo-demons-and-devils/

https://immortalmountain.wordpress.com/2016/11/20/cores-in-chinese-cultivation-novels/

Quora: What does the word 妖精 (yāojing) mean, compared to 妖怪 (yāoguài)?

an explanation of jing (Reddit)

• Extended Bibliography

as in, books that are not directly related, but have still informed my understandings. This is not everything I've ever read by Chinese authors or about related topics, but these are big influences and/or ones I'd recommend. All of these books are ones that I've actually read front or back, versus found a little snippet of online (waaayyyy too many of those to include a full list!).

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See

The Good Earth by Pearl S Buck

The Joy Luck Club, Saving Fish from Drowning, and The Valley of Amazement by Amy Tan

Songs and Silence by Sara Davis

Buddha's Warriors by Mikhel Dunham

First Buddhist Women by Susan Murcott

Women of Wisdom by Tsultrim Allione

The Emerald podcast by Joshua Schrei (mythic animist podcast -- taught me ancient Daoists whistled songs inspired by birds, for ex.)

Empire podcast by Anita Anand and William Dalrymple (specifically their episodes on ancient India and China)

Sorrow Mountain by Ani Pachen

The Universe in a Single Atom by Dalai Lama

The Snow Lion's Turquoise Mane by Surya Das

Bhagavad Gita by Vyasa (icymi: Buddhism came out of Jainism, which came out of Hinduism)

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After an encounter with a straight author who told me she strongly refused to use the word in an admonishing way, not too long after, a kind comment from a fellow LBGTQ reader saying they "cringe" every time they read the word - so I wrote a very long response to them in explanation.  

I'm including this here for my own archiving, but also just in case there's anyone else who thinks I may be using the word "queer" thoughtlessly, or if they themselves don't understand what's behind the word. 

moonlitten's Wangxian, Zhiyin Chapter 12 comment,

RE: to Cosmitechlady,

Mon 18 Dec 2023:

As for the q word!! I'm so glad you said something!!

I've considered whether I should write a note at the beginning of my fics to not only warn people that it's coming, but also explain why I use it. Because I certainly do NOT want anyone to feel stung when they hear it, as you have been! I would never use it as an insult -- personally, it's a high compliment.

I don't know which generation you're a part of, but I was born in '88 in Missouri, and grew up surrounded by *intense* homophobic language and sentiment. It was my Millennial generation that first made the reclamation of this term more mainstream, and I went on quite a journey of understanding how and why that could be... Studying other cultures was a huge part of figuring it out. Because I learned that there are endless ways to identify, endless genders to embody and endless ways to perceive sexual orientation, too.

I will hopefully get around to writing more in-depth about this,  perhaps even devoting a "chapter" of my Glossary to it, but I'll try to answer here in case I don't get around to that 😅 Also, please know that I'm explaining this purely so that you know what I mean as you encounter it in my work (I do use it a lot) -- I'm not at all saying YOU need to say it! I just don't want you to have that bad feeling 🌈 I may over-explain here, but that's partially out of passion and partially so that you know I don't just toss this word around lightly or without a lot of thought an intention behind it!

Reasons why I use "queer":

1) Definitions are important. "Queer" is not synonymous with "homosexual," it's a fluid concept that is more inclusive. Queerness  is otherness, is rejection of binary. It's liminal, on the margins. It encompasses both sexuality and gender, and leaves infinite room for individuated possibility. For instance, it leaves space for two men to be in a "queer relationship" even if one is bi; "gay/homosexual relationship" doesn't fully encompass one of the people in it. Not every gay/lesbian/bi/trans person is 'queer!' And that's fine! LGBT people may find those identities have defined roles that work for them, and those boxes feel good. 100% valid. But queer defies the box.

And defying the box is very, very Wangxian, canonically. Queer literally means 'strange,' and I actually really think this is important, and part of why I use it for myself and for Wangxian. From my queer lens, Wangxian's story -- their WHOLE story, their characters and their arcs -- is a queer allegory (though I don't think MXTX *intentionally* wrote it that way). Both of them are very different from most people, are sort of outsiders even within the exclusive upper echelon of society they're raised in. WWX in particular is 'strange' and 'other' in a standout way, one that even scares people. He doesn't fit anywhere he goes, he invents new magics and ways of thinking, he stands in defiance to the mainstream. Even the word "mo" in modao can be translated as "taboo" or "wrong."

Wangxian also defy everyone with their intimate relationship, go rogue against everyone in pursuit of justice, and don't fit neatly into any particular sect or clan. Another important aspect of queerness: it's rebellious. So, to me, the two of them *embody* queerness in a way that personally resonates very deeply and fills my heart with inspired fire ❤🔥

2) Most of the terms we use today -- gay, bi, trans -- would be anachronistic and not culturally relevant for this universe. Not only is this a made-up universe with magic and such, but it's one based in a real time and place where "gay" was not an identity. The connotations of the term 'cut sleeve' -- used canonically as a slur at least once in the novel -- doesn't fit either of them.

Because "queer" defies boxes, I'm not tying anyone's gender or sexuality to a particular, defined, modern Western take. I settled on 'queer,' imperfect though it may be, because of its openness.

Whew. Well. Sorry this was so long. This explanation is off the cuff, but I sincerely hope it can take away some of the cringe factor for you in my work 💙 The last thing I want is to hurt my readers, or to show anything but love and admiration for my fellow LBGTQs

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ERA

All of my canon fix-it AUs are based (LOOSELY and MAGICALLY) on Warring States / Han eras. Between 500 and 200BC... ish.

I'm going to pop around to comment sections to try and capture the discussion points I've made about this. For now, though, here's the basic reference point for when you're reading!

My friend Dark_Falcon pointed out that the donghua uses "year of so-and-so's reign," which can be interpreted as Tang era, from around 600 to 900AD. This is considered by many to be a sort of 'golden age' in imperial China. But it is HUGELY different from when I write! By, like 1000 years! So, in this way, I've broken donghua canon from the start.

Personally I find it strange to say that this show takes place during the Tang Dynasty when... there is no Tang dynasty? Subjectively, realism is important to me in fantasy. So if this is Tang China, then who are these clans, where did this magic come from? And how would that magic have changed their timeline from how ours played out?

Timing is important. What was invented then? What was being traded, and how? Which ideas had spread where? Writing in a truly ancient time has been fun because I've learned so much about what's indigenous to region we will loosely call 'China' (more below in the Map section on this), and how early there were incredible marks of civilization, so far ahead of what was happening in my ancestor's lands contemporaneously.

For example, different types of distilled liquor were invented at different points in history, and baijiu did not exist in the Warring States period. Kong Qiu (Confucius) hadn't even been born. Tomatoes and potatoes and would not have reached them yet (one exception I make for this is chilis, because I love Wei Wuxian too much to take those away), and they ate a lot of millet and cucumbers. Beds were still exclusively hard, and sometimes made of clay with coals heating them overnight. Horses would still have been more like Mongolian mountain ponies. Glass certainly didn't exist yet, and neither did porcelain. Etc. etc. etc.! These things are fascinating to me; I can't NOT consider it. 

Also, anachronism is baked into MDZS. Intentionally, or at least knowingly and admittedly, by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu. I've done a much harder and arguably sillier thing by picking a time frame and trying to create a consistent, fully-formed world based off of our world's IRL history AND the anachronistic material in the donghua, which is based off of the anachronist material in the novels! 

In any case, while I've tried to diligently follow donghua canon for the most part, I do make exceptions (ex: in my writing, people have a range of body types; people have body fat; cultivators age; and women do not automatically have giant breasts and tiny waists). The universe isn't ours, and a VERY different universe! IMO, the Tang Dynasty wouldn't have existed. There are huge similarities and mirrorings between our world and theirs, but their magic system would have put humanity on a markedly different timeline.

By no means can I represent an ancient time period perfectly -- no one can! We weren't there! On top of that, I'm not Chinese. So while I've put thought and respect into what I'm doing, it's just very simply NOT our world. It's made-up.

MAP AND 'TERRITORIES'

I shrink the map a little, because people are traveling a LOT in canon and in my stories too. Even if we only looked at pre-occupied China's size**, that is still HUGE! For example, in our world, it's a 28 hour drive from northern Beijing to southern Haikou. You might be saying, "Well it's only a 3-4 hour nonstop flight!" Sure. But jet airplanes fly higher at around 900 kilometers/hr, or around 560 miles/hr. How fast can they fly on those swords??

So, I have constructed a smaller landmass in which someone could fly on a sword from one ally territory to the next in a day or so, or in five days from the furthest tip to the other furthest away. Or people can travel by horse between Yunmeng and Gusu, for example, in a few days. I do this not only because it just makes more sense (personally, hand-wavium pulls me out of the story), but because a) it's actually more donghua canon-compliant, considering how quickly and easily people get around, and b) it doubles down on the this-is-not-out-world aspects of my writing. It's literally not even the same landmass configuration! 

**Getting into territory stuff -- upfront, it's important to disclose that I have deep love and respect for Chinese people and history, AND a very strong anti-colonial POV. I've lived with and collected the narratives of Tibetan refugee women. Colonialism and imperialism are unfortunately not unique to one region of the world. It's just a human thing.

It's important to recognize that what we see on the maps as 'China' today is actually over 60% occupied territory. As an American -- where there is a DEEP and NASTY history of Sinophobia -- I have to carefully hold this truth while also holding respect for Chinese people and not falling into racist / xenophobic / Sinophobic lines of thinking, as I have literally been taught to do. Not by my family, but by my history classes, lack of exposure, and overall media landscape.

With that established -- original, 'ethnic China,' we could say, is much smaller than what you'll see on maps. And that's if we're calling all of 'ethnic China' China! If you're a 'Westerner' having a hard time understanding this -- consider how Europe consists of so many countries, all with their own cultures and languages. And how the land of the United States, pre-colonizer, was stewarded by 562 First Nations tribes.

Now consider that the landmass of Europe is almost the same as the landmass of China minus its occupied territories, and that China is even bigger than the USA! So, what is now 'China' was once many sovereign peoples operating out of territories -- much like the MDZS world. Many of them had their own culture and languages or dialects, and would not have considered themselves to be the "same" peoples from North to South nor East to West.

This is partially why I chose the time frame I did.

For me, the Wen imperial threat functions as a historic turning point that creates a Warring States-like period, in which small kingdoms started vying for supremacy -- to have only one Emperor, versus many small kings with their many princes. Looking at the origin of English words "king" and "prince," you'll see that Europe was also once just like MDZS, with many rich and powerful zongzhu rulers (kings) and their gongzi heirs (princes). Only after these European kings perfected imperialism on each other did King became singular -- only ONE man, of ALL the lands. This is the path the Wen are on in my AU. They're leveling up on imperialism. Weeeeeee.

Speaking of imperialism... You'll notice that I always distinctly refer to Tibet as Pö, which is the Tibetan name for their own land. I do the same for Mongolia, referring to it as the Northern Steppes or the Khan Steppes, and will do the same for Uyghurs ("Xinjiang") and Taiwan ("Republic of China") if they ever come up in my stories.

I also refer to the border kingdoms between the Tibetan Plateau and China (today's "Yunnan, Sichuan, Qinghai, and "Gansu") as having another language and culture, and Wei Wuxian and his party 'feel like foreigners there' when they visit. I place Baoshan-sanren's hidden monastery community somewhere in the mountains of these borderlands too, and create Khampa characters and other Tibetan features like barley porridge (tsampa) and architecture.

I do all of this to respect indigenous histories, and to remind everyone that our world used to be a lot bigger and a lot more diverse.

TLDR: things in my AU are similar but different.

They're based mostly off of the donghua, but I make exceptions. I'm interested in the brass tacks of history, culture, and ecology, while also recognizing my limitations as a modern person, a non-Chinese person, and a person from a non-magical universe.