English word origin

Etymology of Ji

From the Hanyu Pinyin romanization of the Mandarin pronunciation of Chinese 薊 /蓟 (Jì), literally thistle.

3 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗

In this entry · 3 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Source etymology 1

Original entry ↗

name

An ancient settlement in northeastern China within modern Beijing. · The state which it ruled. · Synonym of Yan, a neighboring state that conquered Ji and then used its capital. · A former county now within Beijing, China.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From the Hanyu Pinyin romanization of the Mandarin pronunciation of Chinese 薊 /蓟 (Jì), literally thistle.

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Borrowed-form mention薊zh

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "wp",
      "args": {
        "1": "Jicheng (Beijing)"
      },
      "expansion": ""
    },
    {
      "name": "bor",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "cmn-pinyin",
        "3": "-"
      },
      "expansion": "Hanyu Pinyin"
    },
    {
      "name": "bor",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "cmn",
        "3": "-"
      },
      "expansion": "Mandarin"
    },
    {
      "name": "bor",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "zh",
        "3": "薊",
        "tr": "Jì"
      },
      "expansion": "Chinese 薊 /蓟 (Jì)"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "薊",
      "薊#Chinese"
    ],
    [
      "蓟",
      "蓟#Chinese"
    ],
    [
      "thistle",
      "thistle#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "name",
      "glosses": [
        "An ancient settlement in northeastern China within modern Beijing.",
        "The state which it ruled.",
        "Synonym of Yan, a neighboring state that conquered Ji and then used its capital.",
        "A former county now within Beijing, China."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "historical"
      ],
      "recordId": "bb61e456830bf430a9c2a43805022d96a4ddc278a560da851ddf398199ce205d",
      "rawRecordSha256": "0ff151bd1b64736640f80c28de611d0e8ed75b7850986fcc60d8f798fe63462c",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 4280732
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗

name

A county of Linfen, Shanxi, China.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From the Hanyu Pinyin romanization of the Mandarin pronunciation of Chinese 吉 (Jí), literally "lucky".

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Borrowed-form mention吉zh

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "interproject-box",
      "args": {
        "logo": "Commons-logo.svg",
        "logolink": "commons:Category:Ji County, Shanxi",
        "intro": "Wikimedia Commons has media about",
        "noitalic": "",
        "link": "Ji County, Shanxi"
      },
      "expansion": ""
    },
    {
      "name": "commonscat",
      "args": {
        "1": "Ji County, Shanxi"
      },
      "expansion": ""
    },
    {
      "name": "bor",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "cmn-pinyin",
        "3": "-"
      },
      "expansion": "Hanyu Pinyin"
    },
    {
      "name": "bor",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "cmn",
        "3": "-"
      },
      "expansion": "Mandarin"
    },
    {
      "name": "bor",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "zh",
        "3": "吉",
        "tr": "Jí"
      },
      "expansion": "Chinese 吉 (Jí)"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "吉",
      "吉#Chinese"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "name",
      "glosses": [
        "A county of Linfen, Shanxi, China."
      ],
      "tags": [],
      "recordId": "f40f3013673e35ac4a754e2764b190d2be4cd450b3816787ffa08eb8c4ed9c35",
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    }
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  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
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  }
}

Source etymology 3

Original entry ↗

name

A surname from Chinese.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From the Hanyu Pinyin romanization of the Mandarin pronunciation of Chinese 姞 (Jí), sometimes derived from 女 (“woman, matriarchal clan marker”) + 吉 (jí, “lucky”). Doublet of Chi.

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Borrowed-form mention姞zh
Doublet mentionChien

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "bor",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "cmn-pinyin",
        "3": "-"
      },
      "expansion": "Hanyu Pinyin"
    },
    {
      "name": "bor",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "cmn",
        "3": "-"
      },
      "expansion": "Mandarin"
    },
    {
      "name": "bor",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "zh",
        "3": "姞",
        "tr": "Jí"
      },
      "expansion": "Chinese 姞 (Jí)"
    },
    {
      "name": "doublet",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "Chi"
      },
      "expansion": "Doublet of Chi"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "姞",
      "姞#Chinese"
    ],
    [
      "女",
      "女#Chinese"
    ],
    [
      "woman",
      "woman"
    ],
    [
      "matriarchal",
      "matriarchal"
    ],
    [
      "clan",
      "clan"
    ],
    [
      "marker",
      "marker"
    ],
    [
      "吉",
      "吉#Chinese"
    ],
    [
      "lucky",
      "lucky"
    ],
    [
      "Chi",
      "Chi#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "name",
      "glosses": [
        "A surname from Chinese."
      ],
      "tags": [],
      "recordId": "eafec1a4c7bba3d1805e259d44ec0421837bb496c29b9b1883e06ee5b5b2673a",
      "rawRecordSha256": "fa70a1f81f68d8a8753b38caa933fbe9f9e7eb5f0dd4285d3106690b6dbe13fc",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 4280734
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
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    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for Ji →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger

Machine-source provenance

Source SHA-256: 5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run: 73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID: w-Smk