西医

The Chinese word 西医 (xīyī) for "Western medicine" is a compound of two characters: 西 (xī), meaning "west", and 医 (yī), meaning "doctor" or "medicine". The term 西医 was coined in the late 19th century to distinguish Western medical practices from traditional Chinese medicine (中医, zhōngyī).The character 西 (xī) has a long history in Chinese, dating back to the Shang dynasty (c. 1600-1046 BC). It was originally used to refer to the Western regions of China, but over time it came to be used more broadly to refer to the West in general. The character 医 (yī) is also an ancient Chinese character, dating back to the Zhou dynasty (c. 1046-256 BC). It was originally used to refer to a person who treated illnesses, but over time it came to be used more broadly to refer to medicine in general.The compound 西医 (xīyī) was first used in the late 19th century to refer to Western medical practices. This was a time when Western medicine was beginning to be introduced into China, and there was a need for a term to distinguish it from traditional Chinese medicine. The term 西医 quickly gained popularity, and it is now the standard term used to refer to Western medicine in China.