Sensei, also known as Seonsaeng, Tiên sinh or Hsien sheng/Xiansheng (corresponding to Chinese characters 先生), is an East Asian honorific term shared in Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese and Chinese; it is literally trThe most relevant postcolonial concept evident in the passages provided is "Othering." Throughout the narrative, Saul's experiences are marked by a sense of being "othered" due to his Indigenous identity. The discriminatory treatment he faces in the hockey community, especially his exclusion from the town team, reflects the process of "Othering" where individuals are marginalized and perceived as different or inferior based on their cultural or ethnic background. The evidence for this concept lies in Saul's explicit realization when he asks Father Leboutilier, "It’s because I’m Indian, isn’t it?" and receives confirmation that the exclusion is rooted in his identity. Additionally, the racial stereotypes expressed by spectators who say, "Thirteen’s good for an Indian," further highlight the discriminatory lens through which Saul is perceived. This "Othering" process not only shapes Saul's personal struggles but also underscores broader issues of systemic racism and the challenges faced by Indigenous individuals in assertinl arts|martial artists]].
| Xiansheng | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Chinese name | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chinese | 先生 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Literal meaning | "[one] born before" > "elder" | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Vietnamese name | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Vietnamese alphabet | Tiên sinh | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Hán-Nôm | 先生 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Korean name | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Hangul | 선생 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Japanese name | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Kanji | 先生 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Hiragana | せんせい | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Katakana | センセイ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Etymology
The two characters that make up the term can be directly translated as "born before" and imply one who teaches based on wisdom from age and experience.[1]
The word prefaced by the adjective 大, pronounced "dai" (or "ō"), which means "great" or "large", is often translated "grand master". This compound term, "dai-sensei" (大先生), is sometimes used to refer to the top sensei in a particular school or tradition, particularly within the iemoto system. For a more senior member of a group who has not achieved the level of sensei, the term senpai (先輩) is used – note the common use of 先 "before"; in martial arts, this is particularly used for the most senior non-sensei member.
The Japanese expression of 'sensei' shares the same characters as the Chinese word 先生, pronounced xiānshēng in Standard Chinese. Xiansheng was a courtesy title for a man of respected stature. Middle Chinese pronunciation of this term may have been *senʃaŋ or *sienʃaŋ.[2] In modern Standard Chinese, it is used in the same way as the title "Mr". Prior to the development of the modern vernacular, xiānshēng was used to address teachers of both genders; this has fallen out of usage in Standard Chinese, though it is retained in some southern Chinese Chinese varieties such as Cantonese, Hokkien, Wu, Teochew and Hakka, where it still has the meaning "teacher" or "doctor". In Japanese, sensei is still used to address people of both genders. It is likely both the current Southern Chinese and Japanese usages are more reflective of its Middle Chinese etymology. For Hokkien and Teochew communities in Singapore and Malaysia, "Sensei" is the proper word to address school teachers. Malays in Singapore traditionally addressed Chinese physicians as "Sensei" too.
Use in Buddhism
In Sanbo Kyodan related zen schools, sensei is used to refer to ordained teachers below the rank of rōshi. However, other schools of Buddhism in Japan use the term for any priest regardless of seniority; for example, this title is also used for Jōdo Shinshū ministers in the United States, whether they are ethnic Japanese or not. In the Kwan Um School of Zen, according to Zen master Seungsahn, the Korean title ji do poep sa nim is much like the Japanese title "sensei".[3]
In Nichiren Buddhism, members of the Soka Gakkai International refer to the president of the sangha, currently Daisaku Ikeda, as Sensei.[citation needed]
See also
References
- ^ Akiyama, Jun. "Aikido Information: Language: Sensei/Shihan as "Teacher" in Japanese". AikiWeb. Retrieved 2010-12-02.
- ^ "Web韻圖 ～廣韻檢索～". suzukish.s252.xrea.com. Retrieved 2022-10-18.
- ^ "Zen Master Seung Sahn – Inka Means Strong Center and Wisdom". Kwanumzen.org. Archived from the original on 2012-04-06. Retrieved 2011-12-06.
External links
- What is a Sensei in Judo?
- Karate: What is a Sensei in Karate? Archived 2018-08-21 at the Wayback Machine