taikonaut

Definition

A person who travels in space for the Chinese space program; a Chinese astronaut.

Etymology

From Mandarin 太空 (tàikōng, “space”) + -naut, modelled after astronaut, cosmonaut, spationaut, etc. The term was coined on 19 May 1998 by Chiew Lee Yih (趙里昱 (Zhào Lǐyù)) from Malaysia, who used it first in newsgroups. Almost simultaneously, Chen Lan coined it for use in the Western media.

Example Sentences

• "The past decade has seen remarkable events and changes: […] The Columbia disaster and a Chinese taikonaut in orbit"