质量这个词语的含义¶

Question:¶

Why do both mass and quality are named as 质量 in Chinese?

Answer:¶

The reason why both mass and quality are named as 质量 (zhì liàng) in Chinese is likely due to historical reasons and the evolution of the language.

In ancient times, Chinese people had an intricate and sophisticated system of measurement, including units for length, area, volume, and weight. However, the concept of mass as a fundamental property of matter was not clearly understood at that time, and the focus was more on weight and the balance of objects.

Later, during the Westernization movement in the late 19^th century, Chinese scholars began to adopt knowledge and terminology from Western science and technology. At that time, the concept of mass and the metric system were established, and the term 质量 became associated with the physical property of matter.

However, the term 质量 continued to be used in its original sense of "quality" as well, referring to the excellence or attributes of an object. Over time, the term came to represent both the physical mass of an object and its overall quality and excellence, depending on the context in which it is used.

In other words, the term 质量 has evolved to encompass both mass and quality, reflecting the complex nature of the concept and the evolution of the Chinese language and culture over time.

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