工艺

Etymology & Components

The Chinese word 工艺 (gōngyì) is composed of two characters: 工 (gōng), meaning "work" or "labor," and 艺 (yì), meaning "art" or "skill." Together, these characters form the compound word 工艺, which can be translated as "craft," "technique," or "technology."The character 工 (gōng) has a long history in Chinese, dating back to the oracle bone script of the Shang dynasty (c. 1600–1046 BCE). In its earliest form, the character 工 represented a person holding a tool, symbolizing the act of labor. Over time, the character evolved to take on a more abstract meaning, referring to work in general, as well as to the skills and techniques required to perform a particular task.The character 艺 (yì) also has a long history in Chinese, dating back to the oracle bone script of the Shang dynasty. In its earliest form, the character 艺 represented a person standing next to a tree, symbolizing the act of planting or cultivating. Over time, the character evolved to take on a more abstract meaning, referring to art, skill, or talent in general.When the characters 工 and 艺 are combined to form the compound word 工艺 (gōngyì), the meaning of the word is broadened to encompass the entire process of creating something, from the initial design and planning to the final execution and production. In this sense, 工艺 can be understood as the art and science of making things, and it is a term that is used in a wide variety of fields, including engineering, manufacturing, and design.