The Reflection of Traditional Concepts in Modern Chinese Astronomical Terminology

The article examines modern Chinese astronomical terminology in light of the thesis regarding the contradiction between the universality/objectivity of the scientific worldview (SW) and the subjectivity of the linguistic worldviews (LW) of individual ethnic groups that describe the SW. It is shown that Chinese astronomy contains a number of terms rooted in traditional natural philosophy and cultural foundations. Among the borrowed terms, examples are identified where Western concepts were translated either based on the denotative meaning or on the denotative’s visual appearance, relying on imagery historically characteristic of Chinese culture. Despite the significant number of borrowings from Western languages, Chinese astronomical terminology exhibits a unique combination of modern knowledge and traditional cultural patterns. This indicates an interconnection between scientific worldviews and national cultures and languages, as well as the fact that the global scientific worldview loses terminological universality when described through different languages.