feng shui

Where does the word "feng shui" come from? It comes from Chinese feng + shui, and was adopted directly into English (1900s).

Feng shui’s story begins in Chinese: feng + shui meant “wind and water.” Combining "feng" (wind) and "shui" (water). It reached English by 1900s as feng shui. Chinese 'wind-water'; described as early as 1797 in the Encyclopædia Britannica, though it became popular in the West only in the late 1900s. Today, feng shui means a traditional Chinese practice of arranging spaces to achieve harmony and balance.

1. Stage 1 · Chinese · ancient feng + shui "wind and water", combining "feng" (wind) and "shui" (water).
2. Stage 2 · English · 1900s feng shui "the practice of arranging spaces for harmony", Chinese 'wind-water'; described as early as 1797 in the Encyclopædia Britannica, though it became popular in the West only in the late 1900s.