中国古代“物理”一词的由来与词义演变

该文认为，就目前所知，中国古代“物理”一词最早出现于战国时期。“物理”在中国的广泛运用情况表明，其基本含义是泛指事理、道理、情理；通常是指万物之理，或称“大物理”，有时寓有自然规律之义。这种含义与西方古代“物理”一词的含义基本相同。该文还认为，日文“物理学”一词的翻译受到中国古代“物理”一词的深刻影响，且由西文ＰＨＹＳＩＣＡ或ＰＨＹＳＩＣＳ一词译成中文“物理学”的时间可能早于译成日文的时间。

ON THE ORIGIN OF WULI AND ITS CHANGE OF MEANING IN ANCIENT CHINA

This paper points out that the Chinese word Wuli was first used in the Warring States period. According to its use in ancient China , the word refers in general to the innate laws of things , the principle of objects , or the natural laws. We may call it general physics. In ancient times the meaning of Wuli is similar to physics in the West. The paper also holds that translating the English word physics into Japanese was based on the Chinese word Wuli , and that the translation of the English word physics in- to Chinese took place earlier than it was translated into Japanese.