Quantum Field(s) 『量子場』

Quantum Field i.e., an operator that created and destroyed states. The field itself is unmeasurable.

Pictogram (象形): 玄 (“rope tying the bag of feed”) + 田 (“bag of feed”) – a bag of feed, hence livestock.

Alternatively, 玄 (“rope”) + 田 or 囿 (“pen; fold; enclosure”) – tying animals & raising them in the enclosure.

Etymology:

“To raise; to rear (an animal)” (*–k) > “domesticated animal; livestock” (*–k–s, exopassive: “what has been raised”). The various pronunciations in Old and Middle Chinese have been confused or merged in many extant dialects.

Etymology is unknown. Probably from Proto-Sino-Tibetan *hu (“to be born; birth; to rear”), and thus may be related to 好 (OC *qʰuːʔ, *qʰuːs, “good; to like”) (Matisoff). Alternatively, from Proto-Sino-Tibetan *kruŋ (“to live; alive; to be born; to give birth; green; sprout”), whence Tibetan འཁྲུང ('khrung, “to be born; to arise; to sprout”) (Schuessler, 2007).

Zhengzhang (2015) relates Tibetan ལུག (lug, “sheep”) to this word; this would be parallel to 羊 (OC *laŋ, “sheep”) ?~ 養 (OC *laŋʔ, *laŋs, “to rear”) (Sagart, 1999). In Sagart (1999), 畜 is related to 育 (OC *luɡ, “to nourish”) and 鞠 (OC *kuɡ, *kʰuɡ, *ɡuɡ, “to rear”).

Pronunciation

Mandarin

(Pinyin): xù (xu4)

(Zhuyin): ㄒㄩˋ

《道德經 一 第五十一章》

道生之，德畜之，物形之，勢成之。

是以萬物莫不尊道而貴德。

道之尊，德之貴，夫莫之命常自然。

故道生之，德畜之；長之育之；亭之毒之；養之覆之。

生而不有，為而不恃，長而不宰，是謂玄德。

道德經第五十一章

Dao De Jing Chapter 51 ― A. Charles Muller 51. Way gives birth to it...

Way gives birth to it,

Virtue rears it,

Materiality shapes it,

Activity perfects it.

Therefore, there are none of the myriad things that do not

venerate the Way or esteem its virtue.

Veneration of the Way & esteeming of its virtue is something they do naturally, without being forced.

Therefore, the Way gives birth.

Its virtue rears, develops, raises, adjusts and disciplines,

Nourishes, covers and protects,

Produces but does not possess,

Acts without expectation,

Leads without forcing.

Dao De Jing Chapter 51 ― James Legge (The operation (of the Dao) in nourishing things)

All things are produced by the Dao, and nourished by its outflowing operation. They receive their forms according to the nature of each and are completed according to the circumstances of their condition. Therefore all things without exception honour the Dao and exalt its outflowing operation.

This honouring of the Dao and exalting of its operation is not the result of any ordination, but always a spontaneous tribute.

Thus it is that the Dao produces (all things), nourishes them, brings them to their full growth, nurses them, completes them, matures them, maintains them, and overspreads them.

It produces them and makes no claim to the possession of them; it carries them through their processes and does not vaunt its ability in doing so; it brings them to maturity and exercises no control over them;  ― this is called its mysterious operation.

Dao De Jing Chapter 51 ― Arthur Waley

Dào gave them birth;

The “power” of Dào reared them,

Shaped them according to their kinds,

Perfected them, giving to each its strength.

Therefore

Of the ten thousand things there is not one that does not worship Dào

And do homage to its “power”.

No mandate ever went forth that accorded to Dào the right to be worshipped,

Nor to its “power” the right to be worshipped,

Nor to its “power” the right to receive homage.

It was always and of itself so.

Therefore as Dào bore them and the “power” of Dào reared them,

Made them grow, fostered them,

Harboured them,

Brewed for them,

So you must rear them, but not lay claim to them,

Control them, but never lean upon them,

Be chief among them, but not manage them.

This is called the mysterious power.”