基督

First attested in the manuscripts of French Catholic missionary Jean Basset's (c. 1662–1707) Classical Chinese translation of the New Testament, and possibly abbreviated from the pre-existing translation 基利斯督. Although Basset's manuscripts were not widely circulated, they were consulted by British Protestant missionary Robert Morrison, who used 基督 in his own Chinese translations of the Bible in the early 19th century. The term 基督 subsequently gained popularity and replaced other tetrasyllabic translations of "Christ" (e.g. 基利斯督) in the mid-19th century.[1]

基督

1. Christ
   • 1837, “星宿”, in Karl Gützlaff, editor, 東西洋考每月統紀傳 [Eastern Western Monthly Magazine], page 168:

     當日，我救世主降生，有賢人自東方尋至猶太國，問其星之安在。有云：「吾在東方，曾見其星，今來伏拜之耳。」王聞言駭疑，暨京都之民皆然。故召祭司首人，並民中書士，議而問曰：「基督何生？」伊指其邑矣。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     当日，我救世主降生，有贤人自东方寻至犹太国，问其星之安在。有云：「吾在东方，曾见其星，今来伏拜之耳。」王闻言骇疑，暨京都之民皆然。故召祭司首人，并民中书士，议而问曰：「基督何生？」伊指其邑矣。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     Dāngrì, wǒ jiùshìzhǔ jiàngshēng, yǒu xiánrén zì dōngfāng xún zhì Yóutài guó, wèn qí xīng zhī ān zài. Yǒu yún: “Wú zài dōngfāng, céng jiàn qí xīng, jīn lái fú bài zhī ěr.” Wáng wén yán hàiyí, jì jīngdū zhī mín jiē rán. Gù zhào jìsī shǒu rén, bìng mín zhōng shūshì, yì ér wèn yuē: “Jīdū hé shēng?” Yī zhǐ qí yì yǐ. [Pinyin]

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

Imported by Jesuit scribes from Jesuit translations into Chinese,[1] coined originally in Chinese texts as an abbreviation of transcription 基利斯督 (originally Kirishito in Japanese phonology, later shifting in Japanese to Kirisuto).[1] First attested in the 1590s.[1]

This spelling was standard until roughly the mid-Meiji era (1890s), since which time the katakana spelling キリスト has become more common.[1]

• → Korean: 기독 (Gidok)
• → Vietnamese: Cơ đốc

基督 • (Gidok) (hangeul 기독)

1. Hanja form^? of 기독 (“Christ”).

基督

1. chữ Hán form of Cơ đốc (“Christ”).