yin-yang
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Meaning
The ancient Chinese concept of two opposite yet complementary forces found in all things in the universe, such as dark and light, female and male, passive and active.
Usage
The traditional Chinese medicine theory is based on the balance of yin and yang in the body.
The artist used black and white to symbolize the yin-yang of human nature.
Their partnership works so well because their skills are complementary, like yin and yang.
Etymology
The term 'yin-yang' is a direct borrowing from Chinese philosophy, representing one of its most fundamental cosmological principles. The words 'yin' and 'yang' originally described the shady and sunny sides of a hill, respectively, a concrete observation that evolved into a profound abstract duality. This conceptual pair entered the English lexicon in the late 19th century, encapsulating the idea of interconnected, opposing forces constituting a harmonious whole. It remains a prime example of a loanword that carries an entire philosophical system within its compound form.
Analysis
This is a loanword from Chinese, composed of the two monosyllabic characters 'yin' and 'yang'. In English, it functions as a single, unsegmentable lexical unit.