TERMINOLOGY EQUIVALENCIES

The terminology used in various texts, schools, and by practitioners can vary widely. The following list of equivalencies is provided to help you bridge some of the terminology differences that may be encountered. Each term can be found in alphabetical order, with its equivalencies listed to its right. This list is far from comprehensive.

Ancestral vessels = Eight meridians = Eight extra meridians = Eight extraordinary vessels
Asthenia = Deficiency (or Deficient) = Emptiness = Xu
Backward on the Ko cycle = Counteracting cycle = Insult cycle
Body fluids = Ching ye = Jin-ye
Bowel = Fu = Yang organ
Bu = Supplement = Tonify
Channel = Mai = Meridian = Mo (for instance: Yinweimo = Yinweimai; Du Mo = Du Mai)
Ching ye = Body fluids = Jin-ye
Chong Mai = Chong meridian = Penetrating meridian
Coating = Moss = Tongue fur
Conception Vessel = Ren meridian = Ren Mo Control cycle = Interacting cycle = Overacting cycle=  Ko cycle
Dai Mai = Dai meridian = Belt meridian
Defensive Qi = Protective energy = Wei Qi Deficiency (or deficient) = Asthenia = Emptiness = Xu
Disorder stemming from external factors = Exogenous = Externally generated
Disorder stemming from internal factors = Endogenous = Internally generated
Disperse = Reduce = Sedate = Xie
Du meridian = Du Mai = Du Mo =Governing Vesse!
Eight meridians = Ancestral vessels = Eight extra meridians = Eight extraordinary vessels
Emptiness = Asthenia = Deficiency (or Deficient) = Xu = Vacuity
Endogenous = Disorder stemming from internal factors = Internally generated
Enlarged tongue = Fat tongue = Flabby tongue = Swollen tongue
Excess = Fullness = Shi = Sthenia = Replete
Exogenous = Disorder stemming from external factors = Externally generated
Externally generated = Disorder stemming from external factors = Exogenous
External pathogenic factor (or influence) = Outside evil = Pernicious influence = Perverse energy
Fat tongue = Enlarged tongue = Flabby tongue = Swollen tongue
Five Elements = Five Phases = Wu Xing
Fu = Yang organ = Bowel
Fullness = Excess = Shi = Sthenia = Replete
Generation cycle = Inter-promoting cycle = Sheng cycle
Governing Vessel = Du meridian = Du Mai = Du Mo
Horary cycle = Mid-day/midnight cycle = Organ clock
Insult cycle = Backward on the Ko cycle = Ke cycle = Counteracting cycle
Interacting cycle = Control cycle = Overacting cycle = Ko cycle = Ke cycle
Internally generated = Endogenous = Disorder stemming from internal factors
Inter-promoting cycle = Generation cycle = Sheng cycle
Ko cycle = Control cycle = Interacting cycle = Overacting cycle = Ke cycle
Mai = Meridian = Meridian = Mo = channel
Main meridians = Primary meridians = Principal meridians = Regular meridians
Meridian = Channel = Mai = Mo = Meridian = Channel
Mid-day/midnight cycle = Horary cycle = Organ clock
Mo = Meridian = Mai = Meridian
Moss = Coating = Tongue fur
Nourishing energy = Nutritive Qi = Ying Qi Officials = Organs and Bowels = Viscera = Yin and Yang organs = Zang/fu
Organ clock = Horary cycle = Mid-day /midnight cycle
Organs and Bowels = Officials = Viscera = Yin and Yang organs = Zang/fu
Original Qi = Prenatal Qi = Yuan Qi
Outside evil = External pathogenic factor (or influence) = Pernicious influence = Perverse energy
Pectoral Qi = Zhong Qi
Penetrating meridian = Chong Mai = Chong meridian
Pernicious influence = External pathogenic factor (or influence) = Outside evil = Perverse energy
Perverse energy = External pathogenic factor (or influence) = Outside evil = Pernicious influence
Prenatal Qi = Original Qi = Yuan Qi
Primary meridians = Main meridians = Principal meridians = Regular meridians
Principal meridians = Main meridians = Primary meridians = Regular meridians
Protective energy = Defensive Qi = Wei Qi
Reduce = Disperse = Sedate = Xie
Regular meridians = Main meridians = Primary meridians = Principal meridians
Ren meridian = Conception Vessel = Ren Mo
Sanjiao = Three Heaters = Tri-Heater = Triple Burner = Triple Burning Space = Triple Energizer = Triple Heater = Triple Warmer
Sedate = Disperse = Reduce = Xie
Sheng cycle = Generation cycle = Inter-promoting cycle
Shi = Excess = Fullness = Sthenia = Replete
Sthenia = Excess = Fullness = Shi = Replete
Supplement = Bu = Tonify
Swollen tongue = Enlarged tongue = Fat tongue = Flabby tongue
Tongue fur = Coating = Moss
Tongue proper = Tongue material or tissues
Tonify = Bu = Supplement
Triple Burner = Sanjiao = Three Heaters = Tri-Heater = Triple Burning Space = Triple Energizer = Triple Heater = Triple Warmer
Viscera = Officials = Organs and Bowels = Yin and Yang organs = Zang/fu
Wei Qi = Defensive Qi = Protective energy
Wu Xing = Five Elements = Five Phases
Xie = Disperse = Reduce = Sedate
Xin Bao = Heart Palace = Pericardium = Heart Governor = Heart Protector
Xu = Asthenia = Deficiency (or deficient) = Emptiness
YangQiao meridian = Yang Heel meridian
Yang organ = Bowel = Fu
Yangwei meridian = Yang Linking meridian
Yin and Yang organs = Officials = Organs and Bowels = Viscera = Zang/fu
Yin organ = Zang = Solid Organ
Ying Qi = Nourishing energy = Nutritive Qi
YinQiao meridian = Yin Heel meridian
Yinwei meridian = Yin Linking meridian
Yuan Qi = Original Qi = Prenatal Qi
Yuan points = Source points
Yuan Qi = Original Qi = Prenatal Qi
Zang = Yin organ
Zang/fu = Officials = Organs and Bowels =Viscera = Yin and Yang organs
Zhong Qi = Pectoral Qi