Confucius

alternative obsolete Confuçius

1. An influential Chinese philosopher who lived c. 551 BCE – c. 479 BCE; personal name Kong Qiu (孔丘).

   Applicants to higher schools had to pass entrance examinations reminiscent of those administered before 1966. This change, which came under attack in the fall of 1973 during the campaign to criticize Lin Piao and Confucius, pleased middle school teachers in No. 6 Middle School in Tan-tung, Liaoning.

   1977, Thomas P. Bernstein, “Mobilizing Urban Youth to Go to the Countryside”, in Up to the Mountains and Down to the Villages: The Transfer of Youth from Urban to Rural China, Yale University Press, →ISBN, →LCCN, →OCLC, page 98

   3 more examples

   Theſe Books mention only three Sects to have been in vogue in the World ; for of other Sects there is not the leaſt mention made. The firſt is the Sect of the Learned : The ſecond is called Sciequia : And the third Lancu. The firſt of theſe three is followed by all the Chineſes, and the adjacent People, which uſe the Chineſe Characters, as the Iſlanders of Japan, Corea, and Couchinchina : this Sect, which is that of the Learned, is taught to, and followed by none, but only thoſe and the Chineſes themſelves, and is the Antienteſt of all the Sects that were ever heard of in China : Out of this, about which a very great number of Books are writ, generally are choſen perſons fit for the Government of the Empire ; and therefore it is honoured and eſteemed above all others. The Doctrine of this Sect is not taught all at once, but they ſuck it in by degrees when they learn to Read or Write. The firſt Founder of this Sect was Confutius, the Prince of Chineſe Philoſophers, who is to this day honoured by all the Learned, with the Title of the The moſt Wiſe.

   1669 [1665], John Nievhoff, “Of ſeveral SECTS in CHINA : Concerning PHILOSOPHY, and IDOL WORSHIP.”, in John Ogilby, transl., An Embassy from the Eaſt-India Company of the United Provinces, to the Grand Tartar Cham Emperour of China, London: John Macock, translation of original in Dutch, →OCLC, page 216

   The thirty eighth Year of the Cycle Confucius was preferr’d for his great Merit to be Prime Miniſter of the Kingdom of Lû, his native Country. Thro’ his wiſe Counſel the Face of Affairs was ſoon chang'd throughout the Land ; he reform’d the Abuſes that had crept into it, and reſtor’d Honeſty in dealing ; he taught young Men to reſpect the old, and honour their Parents, even after their Deceaſe ; he inſpir’d the fair Sex with Mildneſs and Chaſtity ; and caus’d Sincerity, Uprightneſs, and all other civil Virtues to prevail among the People.

   1738, J. B. Du Halde, “Annals of the Chinese Monarchs”, in A Description of the Empire of China and Chinese-Tartary, Together with the Kingdoms of Korea, and Tibet, volume I, London, →OCLC, page 167

   This is no longer a clue. It's a game. You may have just gotten checkmate, but we're playing Chinese checkers, and as my old friend Confucius say; the hunter has become the hunter-ed. The chaser has become the chosed. Dame Fortuna has had her franking privileges revoked. It seems the portrait has painted the artist, sketching the reverser, who has become the reverse-ed. But this time the suffixed will become the sufferer, and it appears the baby killer is about to kill a baby.

   2007, Xavier: Renegade Angel, season 1, episode 4, spoken by Xavier (Vernon Chatman)

2. rareA male given name from Latin.