Earthly Branches

The twelve Earthly Branches or Terrestrial Branches[1] are a Chinese ordering system used throughout East Asia in various contexts, including its ancient dating system, astrological traditions, zodiac and ordinals.

Earthly Branches
A carving of the Chinese zodiac on the ceiling of the gate to Kushida Shrine in Fukuoka, Japan
Chinese name
Chinese地支
Vietnamese name
VietnameseĐịa Chi
Hán-Nôm地支
Korean name
Hangul지지
Hanja地支
Japanese name
Kanji地支
Hiraganaちし
12 Branches
Chinese name
Chinese十二支
Vietnamese name
VietnameseThập Nhị Chi
Hán-Nôm十二支
Korean name
Hangul십이지
Hanja十二支
Japanese name
Kanji十二支
Hiraganaじゅうにし

Origin

This system was built from observations of the orbit of Jupiter. Chinese astronomers divided the celestial circle into 12 sections to follow the orbit of 歲星 Suìxīng (Jupiter, the Year Star). Astronomers rounded the orbit of Suixing to 12 years (from 11.86). Suixing was associated with 攝提 Shètí (η Boötis) and sometimes called Sheti.

History

In correlative thinking, the 12 years of the Jupiter cycle also identify the 12 months of the year, 12 animals (mnemonics for the system), directions, seasons, and Chinese hour in the form of double hours. When a Branch is used for a double hour, the listed periods are meant. When used for an exact time of a day, it is the center of the period. For instance, 午時 wǔshí means noon or a period from 11 am to 1 pm. (The jiéqì system provided single hours and 15-degree arcs in time and space.)

Chinese seasons are based on observations of the sun and stars. Many Chinese calendrical systems have started the new year on the second new moon after the winter solstice.

The Earthly Branches are today used with the Heavenly Stems in the current version of the "traditional Chinese calendar" and in Taoism. The Ganzhi (Stem-Branch) combination is a fairly new way to mark time; in the second millennium BC, during the Shang era, the 10 Heavenly Stems provided the names of the days of the week. The Branches are as old as the Stems (and according to recent archaeology may actually be older), but the Stems were tied to the ritual calendars of Chinese kings.

Twelve branches
  Earthly
Branch		 Chinese Japanese Ryukyuan (Okinawan) Korean
(RR)		 Mongolian Manchu Vietnamese Chinese
zodiac		 Japanese
zodiac		 Direction Season Lunar Month Double Hour
Mandarin
Zhuyin		 Mandarin
Pinyin		 Cantonese
Jyutping		 Hokkien
POJ		 on'yomi of
Earthly Branch		 kun'yomi
of Animal / Zodiac		 on'yomi of
Earthly Branch		 Japanese-based kun'yomi
of Animal / Zodiac		 native kunyomi of animal zodiac
1子ㄗˇzǐzi2chúし(shi)ね(ne) し にー (nii) えんちゅ (enchu)자 (ja)ᠬᠤᠯᠤᠭᠠᠨ᠎ᠠᠰᡳᠩᡤᡝᡵᡳtí (SV: tử)鼠
Rat		鼠0° (north)winterMonth 1111pm to 1am (midnight)
2丑ㄔㄡˇchǒucau2thiúちゅう(chū)うし(ushi) ちゅー うし (ushi) うし (ushi)축 (chuk)ᠦᠬᠡᠷᡳᡥᠠᠨsửu牛
Ox		牛
Cow		30°Month 121am to 3am
3寅ㄧㄣˊyínjan4înいん(in)とら(tora) いん とぅら (tura) とぅら (tura)인 (in)ᠪᠠᠷᠰᡨᠠᠰᡥᠠdần虎
Tiger		虎60°springMonth 13am to 5am
4卯ㄇㄠˇmǎomaau5báuぼう(bō)う(u) ぼー うー (uu) うさじ (usaji)묘 (myo)ᠲᠠᠤᠯᠠᠢᡤᡡᠯᠮᠠᡥᡡᠨmão (non-SV: mẹo)兔
Rabbit		兎90° (east)Month 25am to 7am
5辰ㄔㄣˊchénsan4sînしん(shin)たつ(tatsu) しん たち (tachi) りゅー (ryuu)진 (jin)ᠯᠤᠤᠮᡠᡩᡠᡵᡳthìn (SV: thần)龙（龍）
Dragon		竜 (龍)120°Month 37am to 9 am
6巳ㄙˋsìzi6sūし(shi)み(mi) し みー (mii) はぶ (habu)사 (sa)ᠮᠣᠭᠠᠢᠮᡝᡳᡥᡝtị蛇
Snake		蛇150°summerMonth 49am to 11am
7午ㄨˇwǔng5ngó͘ご(go)うま(uma) ぐ うま (uma) んま ('nma)오 (o)ᠮᠣᠷᠢᠮᠣᡵᡳᠨngọ马（馬）
Horse		馬180° (south)Month 511am to 1pm (noon)
8未ㄨㄟˋwèimei6bīび (bi)ひつじ(hitsuji) び ふぃちじ (fichiji) ふぃーじゃー (fiijaa)미 (mi)ᠬᠣᠨᠢᡥᠣᠨᡳᠨmùi (SV: vị)羊
Goat		羊
Sheep		210°Month 61pm to 3pm
9申ㄕㄣshēnsan1sinしん(shin)さる(saru) しん さーるー (saaruu) さーるー (saaruu)신 (sin)ᠪᠡᠴᠢᠨᠪᠣᠨᡳᠣthân猴
Monkey		猿240°autumnMonth 73pm to 5pm
10酉ㄧㄡˇyǒujau5iúゆう(yū)とり(tori) ゆー とぅい (tu'i) とぅい (tu'i)유 (yu)ᠲᠠᠬᠢᠶ᠎ᠠᠴᠣᡴᠣdậu鸡（雞）
Rooster		鶏 (鳥)
Chicken		270° (west)Month 85pm to 7pm
11戌ㄒㄩxūseot1sutじゅつ(jutsu)いぬ(inu) いん ('in) いん ('in)술 (sul)ᠨᠣᠬᠠᠢᡳᠨᡩᠠᡥᡡᠨtuất狗
Dog		犬300°Month 97pm to 9pm
12亥ㄏㄞˋhàihoi6hāiがい(gai)い(i) げー いー (yii) やましし (yamashishi)해 (hae)ᠭᠠᠬᠠᠢᡠᠯᡤᡳᠶᠠᠨhợi猪（豬）
Pig		猪
Wild boar		330°winterMonth 109pm to 11pm

Some cultures assign different animals: Vietnam replaces the Ox and Rabbit with the water buffalo and cat, respectively; Tibet replaces the Rooster with the bird. In the traditional Kazakh version of the 12 year animal cycle (Kazakh: мүшел, müşel), the Dragon is substituted by a snail (Kazakh: ұлу, ulw), and the Tiger appears as a leopard (Kazakh: барыс, barıs).[2]

Directions
The 24 cardinal directions (ancient Chinese convention places the south (red) at the top).

Though Chinese has words for the four cardinal directions, Chinese mariners and astronomers/astrologers preferred using the 12 directions of the Earthly Branches, which is somewhat similar to the modern-day practice of English-speaking pilots using o'clock for directions. Since 12 points were not enough for sailing, 12 midpoints were added. Instead of combining two adjacent direction names, they assigned new names:

  • For the four diagonal directions, appropriate trigram names of I Ching were used.
  • For the rest, the Heavenly Stems (1-4, 7-10) were used. According to the Five Elements theory, east is assigned to wood, and the Stems of wood are 甲 (jiǎ) and 乙 (yǐ). Thus, they were assigned clockwise to the two adjacent points of the east.

The 24 directions are:

  Character Mandarin name Cantonese name Hokkien name Korean name Japanese name Ryukyuan (Okinawan) Vietnamese name Direction
1 子ㄗˇ zǐzi2chú자 (ja)ね (ne) にー (nii)tí (SV: tử) 0° (north)
2 癸ㄍㄨㄟˇ guǐgwai3kúi계 (gye) (SK: 규 (gyu))みずのと (mizunoto) みんぬとぅ (minnutu)quý 15°
3 丑ㄔㄡˇ chǒucau2thiú축 (chuk) (SK: 추 (chu))うし (ushi) うし (ushi)sửu 30°
4 艮ㄍㄣˋ gèngan3kùn간 (gan)うしとら (ushitora) うしとぅら (ushitura)cấn 45° (northeast)
5 寅ㄧㄣˊ yínjan4în인 (in)とら (tora) とぅら (tura)dần 60°
6 甲ㄐㄧㄚˇ jiǎgaap3kap / kah갑 (gap)きのえ (kinoe) ちにー (chinii)giáp 75°
7 卯ㄇㄠˇ mǎomaau5báu묘 (myo)う (u) う (u)mão (non-SV: mẹo) 90° (east)
8 乙ㄧˇ yǐjyut3it을 (eul)きのと (kinoto) ちぬとぅ(chinutu)ất 105°
9 辰ㄔㄣˊ chénsan4sîn진 (jin) (SK: 신 (sin))たつ (tatsu) たち (tachi)thìn (SV: thần) 120°
10 巽ㄒㄩㄣˋ xùnseon3sùn손 (son)たつみ (tatsumi) たちみー (tachimii)tốn 135° (southeast)
11 巳ㄙˋ sìzi6sū사 (sa)み (mi) みー (mii)tị 150°
12 丙ㄅㄧㄥˇ bǐngbing2péng병 (byeong)ひのえ (hinoe) ふぃにー (finii)bính 165°
13 午ㄨˇ wǔng5ngó͘오 (o)うま (uma) うま (uma)ngọ 180ㄑ° (south)
14 丁ㄉㄧㄥ dīngding1teng정 (jeong)ひのと (hinoto) ふぃぬとぅ (finutu)đinh 195°
15 未ㄨㄟˋ wèimei6bī미 (mi)ひつじ (hitsuji) ふぃちじ (fichiji)mùi (SV: vị) 210°
16 坤ㄎㄨㄣ kūnkwan1khun곤 (gon)ひつじさる (hitsujisaru) ふぃちじさーるー (fichijisaaruu)khôn 225° (southwest)
17 申ㄕㄣ shēnsan1sin신 (sin)さる (saru) さーるー (saaruu)thân 240°
18 庚ㄍㄥ gēnggang1keng경 (gyeong)かのえ (kanoe) かにー (kanii)canh 255°
19 酉ㄧㄡˇ yǒuyau5iú유 (yu)とり (tori) とぅい (tu'i)dậu 270° (west)
20 辛ㄒㄧㄣ xīnsan1sin신 (sin)かのと (kanoto) かぬとぅ (kanutu)tân 285°
21 戌ㄒㄩ xūseotsut술 (sul)いぬ (inu) いん (in)tuất 300°
22 乾ㄑㄧㄢˊ qiánkin4khiân건 (geon)いぬい (inui) いんいー (in'yii)càn (SV: kiền) 315° (northwest)
23 亥ㄏㄞˋ hàihoi6hāi해 (hae)い (i) いー (yii)hợi 330°
24 壬ㄖㄣˊ rénjam4jîm임 (im)みずのえ (mizunoe) みんにい (minnii)nhâm 345°

Advanced mariners such as Zheng He used 48-point compasses. An additional midpoint was called by a combination of its two closest basic directions, such as 丙午 (bǐngwǔ) for the direction of 172.5°, the midpoint between 丙 (bǐng), 165°, and 午 (wǔ), 180°.

Current usage

The terrestrial branches are still commonly used nowadays in Chinese counting systems similar to the way the alphabet is used in English. For example, names in legal documents and contracts where English speakers would use K, L, M, etc. Korea and Japan also use terrestrial branches on legal documents in this way.

Since the celestial stems and terrestrial branches combined only consist of 22 characters, the four final letters – W, X, Y, and Z – cannot be represented by any of the celestial stems and terrestrial branches, and those four letters are represented by ‘物’, ‘天’, ‘地’, and ‘人’, respectively, instead.[3]

In case of upper-case letters, the radical of ‘口’ (the ‘mouth’ radical) may be added to the corresponding terrestrial branch or any of ‘物’, ‘天’, ‘地’, and ‘人’ to denote an upper-case letter.[4]

gollark: Very true!
gollark: +>markov 319753218592866315
gollark: Mildly.
gollark: +>markov 319753218592866315
gollark: I don't actually care that much.

See also
PDF: A study of the cardinal directions chart

References
  1. Yuval Blum. "Introduction to the "STEMS AND BRANCHES" theory". Mahaya Forest Hill Integrative Health Clinic, Toronto. Archived from the original on 2018-08-27. Retrieved 2018-08-27.
  2. А. Мухамбетова (A. Mukhambetova), Казахский традиционный календарь The traditional Kazakh calendar (in Russian)
  3. (pages 147 and 148)
  4. (pages 147 and 148)
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