it may be a little late to ask but, why call "sect" in those cn novels? considering they follow similar ideas, methods and style, "school" should be a better translation... like, you dont call aikido sect, karate sect, kungfu sect... (do you? oO), you call school/gym/academy. /* google translate: school a group of people, particularly writers, artists, or philosophers, sharing the same or similar ideas, methods, or style. sect a group of people with somewhat different religious beliefs (typically regarded as heretical) from those of a larger group to which they belong. */ from all novels I have read till now, it sounds more like a school of thoughts. I have never seen any "sect" worship any deity, pls note that the usual "worship the ancestor" is more like a respect demonstration, not a idolatry where ppl offer own body and soul. Where I live, IRL, the word sect stands for religious cults (its a derogatory word btw), my mother loves to use it to refer all others religious cults. I do not want/care to change the "sect" word used in most translations, but I'd like some natural chinese person to explain it to me if my defination is wrong. I'm not a natural english speaker, but there shouldnt be any difference in the meaning in my language.
Sect (宗 zōng) (派 pài) – an organization dedicated to the practice of cultivation and/or martial arts. Typically led by a Sect Leader (掌门) or Patriarch (老祖). With the help of Sect Elders (老), they instruct Disciples (弟子) in the proper methods of cultivation or training in the martial arts styles of the Sect. The Disciples live in the Sect, which provides for their daily needs. There is practically always a strict hierarchy amongst members of a Sect, and respect for the elder generations is demanded. This is the definition i found
I think it’s because they want to stress how you’re supposed to be dedicated to the sect after joining it just like in religious cults because in all novels, once you join a sect, it’s your home for life. Just like the saying master for a day, father for life. Schools on the other hand are temporary study places which you will feel indebted to, but not dedicated to. That’s the difference I believe or at least how it’s portrayed in most novels I read.
u searching google sensei for a chinese term is the wrong approach....it may be written as school or sect in translation but it may not be so in the original pinyin... and it definitely isnt school...nobody is studying there....only bickering, making factions, eating steroids and sometimes hiding in a hole to pwer up....
its the glossary to wuxia/xianxia term. I'm questioning if the term is appropriate. really? kinda sure I can count in one hand the novels that mc stays in one sect for life. Usually they get out after having higher cultivation, not just the mc, others members too. I'm citing google defination, said school seems a better translation than sect, not that its the best word for it.. Thats the reason I'd like a natural chinese person to explain "sect". they power up is kinda like studying, the skills, cultivation techniques etc, all are studying. Do you know what studying means? oO going by the classics novels, all same sect ppl cultivates the same core art, is how ppl knows they belong to that sect. Though most novels now seems to do exactly the opposite.
Yeah, but they always go back and make sure there original sect is safe and all. They’re forced to leave because the original sects don’t have enough resources for their talent. This is assuming their sect treated them well and no arrogant young master of the sect tried to bully/kill the MC.
Many Cn novels have both schools and sects Schools are more like an learning institute in which you'll eventually leave. The relation isn't deep. While sects are for life. A place where the cultivator dedicates themself to. Don't count MC's because there always jumping to higher level sects
Note that there are all sorts of different kinds of organizations in wuxia/xianxia that can be translated as sect or school and translators might not apply these terms properly. That said, if they're doing it correctly, the above should be correct.
I think the OP's original definition from google works too. In Wuxia novels / movies, sometimes translations/subtitles use school to mean a style of a certain sect's martial arts. Like you can say this person is from the Shaolin sect, but their school of martial arts is Northern Shaolin vs. Southern Shaolin. I feel like school, aside from the normal meaning of a place to study, can be another way of describing style too.