English word origin

Etymology of yin

From early romanizations of Chinese 陰／阴 (yīn), originally used in reference to shaded areas, as of a mountain or home.

2 source sectionsBrief source recordWiktionary original ↗

In this entry · 2 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 ↗

noun

A principle in Chinese and related East Asian philosophies associated with dark, cool, female, etc. elements of the natural world.

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

From early romanizations of Chinese 陰／阴 (yīn), originally used in reference to shaded areas, as of a mountain or home.

Inspect preserved source fields

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

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "zh-l",
      "args": {
        "1": "陰"
      },
      "expansion": "陰／阴 (yīn)"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "陰",
      "陰#Chinese"
    ],
    [
      "阴",
      "阴#Chinese"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "A principle in Chinese and related East Asian philosophies associated with dark, cool, female, etc. elements of the natural world."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "uncountable"
      ],
      "recordId": "efa59c416cb9e5171a0045dc20fcd701432b63cc11d755f095053b75bb6da005",
      "rawRecordSha256": "a5712b584ac5b7216224adc24345e80af98012f42d584f83dde34f8f51d22ef8",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 176940
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗

num

The number one, primarily used in Scotland and Ulster

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

From ān. Doublet of yan, yen, ane and one.

Inspect preserved source fields

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

{
  "templates": [],
  "links": [
    [
      "ān",
      "an#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "yan",
      "yan#English"
    ],
    [
      "yen",
      "yan#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "ane",
      "ane#Scots"
    ],
    [
      "one",
      "one#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "num",
      "glosses": [
        "The number one, primarily used in Scotland and Ulster"
      ],
      "tags": [],
      "recordId": "74cddf7581635b3a0b48dd46018a90b1fa99494c2c0c0f1e22f54b479ed6947b",
      "rawRecordSha256": "3acd41728f82748adcf8776ea9a502f667f8a6d29e04140861dca0b29dea2418",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 176941
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "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 yin →

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-eWlu