Goat | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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![]() "Goat" in regular Chinese characters | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Chinese | 羊 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The Goat (Chinese : 羊 ; pinyin :yáng,sometimes also translated Sheep or Ram) is the eighth of the 12-year cycle of animals which appear in the Chinese zodiac related to the Chinese calendar. This zodiacal sign is often [1] referred to as the "Ram" or "Sheep" sign, [2] since the Chinese word yáng is more accurately translated as Caprinae ,a taxonomic subfamily that includes both goats and sheep, [3] but contrasts with other animal subfamily types such as Bovinae,Antilopinae,and other taxonomic considerations which may be encountered in the case of the larger family of Bovidae in Chinese mythology,which also includes the Ox (zodiac). The Year of the Goat is associated with the 8th Earthly Branch symbol, 未 (wèi). [4]
The Chinese word yáng refers to both goats and sheep, [5] whereas the terms shānyáng (山羊) and miányáng (绵羊;綿羊) refer exclusively to goats and sheep,respectively. [6] [7] In English,the sign (originally based on a horned animal) may be called either. The interpretation of goat or sheep depends on culture. [1] In Vietnamese,the sign is mùi,which is unambiguously goat. [8] In Japan,on the other hand,the sign is hitsuji, sheep; [8] while in Korea [9] and Mongolia,the sign is ram or sheep. Within China,there may be a regional distinction with the zodiacal yáng more likely to be thought of as a goat in the south,while tending to be thought of as a sheep in the north. [10]
The Chinese commonly regard sheep as an auspicious animal,and the year of the sheep,therefore,heralds a year of promise and prosperity. [6] "Yáng" (羊) is a component of another written Chinese characters "xiang" (祥),which means auspiciousness,and the two were interchangeable in ancient Chinese,according to one source. [11] It is also a part of the character "shan" (善),which counts kindness and benevolence as among its meanings.
Individuals born in the zodiac year have been supposed to share certain characteristics with other individuals also born in years of the same animal sign. Similarly,years sharing the same animal sign have been supposed to share certain characteristics,repeating over their 12/60 year cycle. The shared characteristics in this case are traits attributed to goats.
Due to the lunisolar nature of the traditional Chinese calendar system, [12] the zodiacal year does not align with the Gregorian calendar:new years are determined by a system which results in each new year beginning on a new moon sometime between late January to mid-to-late February. [13] Goat aspects can also enter by other chronomantic factors or measures,such as hourly.
In Chinese astrology,Goats are described as peace-loving,kind,and popular. [14] With the addition of the Wood element,the Goat characteristic is thought to love peace and to be helpful and trusting,but yet also to be clinging and of a nature resistant to change. [15]
People born within these date ranges can be said to have been born in the "Year of the Goat", while also bearing the following elemental sign:
Start date | End date | Heavenly branch |
---|---|---|
13 February 1907 | 1 February 1908 | Fire Goat |
1 February 1919 | 19 February 1920 | Earth Goat |
17 February 1931 | 5 February 1932 | Metal Goat |
5 February 1943 | 24 January 1944 | Water Goat |
24 January 1955 | 11 February 1956 | Wood Goat |
9 February 1967 | 29 January 1968 | Fire Goat |
28 January 1979 | 15 February 1980 | Earth Goat |
15 February 1991 | 3 February 1992 | Metal Goat |
1 February 2003 | 21 January 2004 | Water Goat |
19 February 2015 | 7 February 2016 | Wood Goat |
6 February 2027 | 25 January 2028 | Fire Goat |
24 January 2039 | 11 February 2040 | Earth Goat |
11 February 2051 | 31 January 2052 | Metal Goat |
29 January 2063 | 16 February 2064 | Water Goat |
15 February 2075 | 4 February 2076 | Wood Goat |
3 February 2087 | 23 January 2088 | Fire Goat |
21 January 2099 | 08 February 2100 | Earth Goat |
Earthly Branches of Birth Year: | Wei |
The Five Elements: | Earth |
Yin Yang: | Yin |
Lunar Month: | Sixth |
Lucky Numbers: | 2, 3, 4, 7, 9; Avoid: 6, 8 |
Lucky Flowers: | carnation, primrose |
Lucky Colors: | green, red, purple; Avoid: gold, brown |
Season: | Summer |
Chinese astrology is based on the traditional astronomy and calendars. Chinese astrology came to flourish during the Han Dynasty.
The subfamily Caprinae, also sometimes referred to as the tribe Caprini, is part of the ruminant family Bovidae, and consists of mostly medium-sized bovids. A member of this subfamily is called a caprine, or, more informally, a goat-antelope.
The Bovidae comprise the biological family of cloven-hoofed, ruminant mammals that includes cattle, bison, buffalo, antelopes, and goat-antelopes. A member of this family is called a bovid. With 143 extant species and 300 known extinct species, the family Bovidae consists of 11 major subfamilies and thirteen major tribes. The family evolved 20 million years ago, in the early Miocene.
The Pig or sometimes translated as the Boar is the twelfth of the 12-year cycle of animals which appear in Chinese zodiac, in relation to the Chinese calendar and system of horology, and paralleling the system of ten Heavenly Stems and twelve Earthly Branches. Although the term "zodiac" is used in the phrase "Chinese zodiac", there is a major difference between the Chinese usage and Western astrology: the zodiacal animals do not relate to the zodiac as the area of the sky that extends approximately 8° north or south of the ecliptic, the apparent path of the Sun, the Moon, and visible planets across the celestial sphere's constellations, over the course of the year.
The Tiger is the third of the 12-year cycle of animals which appear in the Chinese zodiac related to the Chinese calendar. The Year of the Tiger is associated with the Earthly Branch symbol 寅.
The Dog is eleventh of the 12-year cycle of animals which appear in the Chinese zodiac related to the Chinese calendar. The Year of the Dog is associated with the Earthly Branch symbol 戌. The character 狗, also refers to the actual animal while 戌, also refers to the zodiac animal.
The snake is the sixth of the twelve-year cycle of animals which appear in the Chinese zodiac related to the Chinese calendar. The Year of the Snake is associated with the Earthly Branch symbol 巳.
The monkey is the ninth of the 12-year cycle of animals which appear in the Chinese zodiac related to the Chinese calendar. The year of the monkey is associated with the Earthly Branch symbol 申.
The Ox is the second of the 12-year periodic sequence (cycle) of animals which appear in the Chinese zodiac related to the Chinese calendar, and also appears in related calendar systems. The Chinese term translated here as ox is in Chinese niú , a word generally referring to cows, bulls, or neutered types of the bovine family, such as common cattle or water buffalo. The zodiacal ox may be construed as male, female, neutered, hermaphroditic, and either singular or plural. The Year of the Ox is also denoted by the Earthly Branch symbol chǒu. The term "zodiac" ultimately derives from an Ancient Greek term referring to a "circle of little animals". There are also a yearly month of the ox and a daily hour of the ox. Years of the oxen (cows) are cyclically differentiated by correlation to the Heavenly Stems cycle, resulting in a repeating cycle of five years of the ox/cow, each ox/cow year also being associated with one of the Chinese wǔxíng, also known as the "five elements", or "phases": the "Five Phases" being Fire, Water, Wood, Metal, and Earth. The Year of the Ox follows after the Year of the Rat which happened in 2020 and is then followed by the Year of the Tiger, which happened in 2022.
The Rat or Mouse is the first of the repeating 12-year cycle of animals which appear in the Chinese zodiac, constituting part of the Chinese calendar system. The Year of the Rat in standard Chinese is ; the rat is associated with the first branch of the Earthly Branch symbol 子 (zǐ), which starts a repeating cycle of twelve years. The Chinese word shǔ refers to various small rodents (Muroidea), such as rats and mice. The term "zodiac" ultimately derives from an Ancient Greek term referring to a "circle of little animals". There are also a yearly month of the rat and a daily hour of the rat. Years of the rat are cyclically differentiated by correlation to the Heavenly Stems cycle, resulting in a repeating cycle of five years of the rat, each rat year also being associated with one of the Chinese wu xing, also known as the "five elements", or "phases": the "Five Phases" being Fire, Water, Wood, Metal, and Earth.
The traditional Korean calendar or Dangun calendar is a lunisolar calendar. Dates are calculated from Korea's meridian, and observances and festivals are based in Korean culture.
In Western astrology, astrological signs are the twelve 30-degree sectors that make up Earth's 360-degree orbit around the Sun. The signs enumerate from the first day of spring, known as the First Point of Aries, which is the vernal equinox. The astrological signs are Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, and Pisces. The Western zodiac originated in Babylonian astrology, and was later influenced by the Hellenistic culture. Each sign was named after a constellation the sun annually moved through while crossing the sky. This observation is emphasized in the simplified and popular sun sign astrology. Over the centuries, Western astrology's zodiacal divisions have shifted out of alignment with the constellations they were named after by axial precession of the Earth while Hindu astrology measurements correct for this shifting. Astrology was developed in Chinese and Tibetan cultures as well but these astrologies are not based upon the zodiac but deal with the whole sky.
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Ovis is a genus of mammals, part of the Caprinae subfamily of the ruminant family Bovidae. Its seven highly sociable species are known as sheep or ovines. Domestic sheep are members of the genus, and are thought to be descended from the wild mouflon of central and southwest Asia.
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The Chinese zodiac is a traditional classification scheme based on the lunar calendar that assigns an animal and its reputed attributes to each year in a repeating twelve-year cycle. Originating from China, the zodiac and its variations remain popular in many East Asian and Southeast Asian countries, such as Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Vietnam, Cambodia, Singapore, Nepal, Bhutan and Thailand.
The Rooster is the tenth of the 12-year cycle of animals which appear in the Chinese zodiac related to the Chinese calendar. The Year of the Rooster is represented by the Earthly Branch symbol 酉.
Bovidae in Chinese mythology include various myths and legends about a group of biologically distinct animals which form important motifs within Chinese mythology. There are many myths about the animals modernly classified as Bovidae, referring to oxen, sheep, goats, and mythological types such as "unicorns". Chinese mythology refers to those myths found in the historical geographic area of China, a geographic area which has evolved or changed somewhat through history. Thus this includes myths in Chinese and other languages, as transmitted by Han Chinese as well as other ethnic groups. There are various motifs of animals of the Bovidae biological family in Chinese mythology. These have often served as allusions in poetry and other literature. Some species are also used in the traditional Chinese calendar and time-keeping system.
Mesha Sankranti refers to the first day of the solar cycle year, that is the solar New Year in the Hindu luni-solar calendar. The Hindu calendar also has a lunar new year, which is religiously more significant. The solar cycle year is significant in Assamese, Odia, Punjabi, Malayalam, Tamil, and Bengali calendars.
Goat evolution is the process by which domestic goats came to exist through evolution by natural selection. Wild goats — medium-sized mammals which are found in noticeably harsh environments, particularly forests and mountains, in the Middle East and Central Asia — were one of the first species domesticated by modern humans, with the date of domestication generally considered to be 8,000 BCE. Goats are part of the family Bovidae, a broad and populous group which includes a variety of ruminants such as bison, cows and sheep. Bovids all share many traits, such as hooves and a herbivorous diet and all males, along with many females, have horns. Bovids began to diverge from deer and giraffids during the early Miocene epoch. The subfamily Caprinae, which includes goats, ibex and sheep, are considered to have diverged from the rest of Bovidae as early as the late Miocene, with the group reaching its greatest diversity in the ice ages.